Book 1: Azure and Crimson
by Fir100
Summary: For their first mission, Zeo, Gaius, Kanade and Serena travel to the world of Azure Striker Gunvolt to locate the distortion and save the world from extinction. Little did they know that unexpected surprises and events await our heroes that will change this world, for better or worse, including the ones called Gunvolt and Copen.
1. Chapter 1: Striker and Slayer

**Azure and Crimson**

**Chapter 1: Striker & Slayer**

_The world of Azure Striker Gunvolt. A futuristic world where war was waged between humans and Adepts, special people with amazing powers. This world was once ruled by a powerful organization until recently it and their leader was defeated by an unknown rebel Adept, who seeks to find peace between the two races. It was going to be peaceful, until a new organization was formed, that's formed by Adepts with their goal being to wipe out all humankind, leaving Adepts to rule the world. How will this story change with the appearance of our four world travelling heroes?_

* * *

A portal appeared from the sky and out appears our four heroes in their Time Mazines as they ride through the futuristic city by air, searching for the Distortion that could erase this world. The four heroes who were sent to investigate this world are Zeo Naotora, Gaius Cornell, Kanade Amou and Serena Cadenzavna Eve.

"Wow...so this is the world of Azure Striker Gunvolt huh? Plenty of futuristic buildings here." Zeo said as he looked around the city.

"Yeah, kinda reminds me of Megaman X in the Year 21XX." Gaius added. "You think the Gunvolt games are sort of predecessors to the Megaman X games?"

"Now that you mention it, might be possible..."

"Whoa, this place looks a lot different than our world huh, Serena?" Kanade said.

"Indeed, hope there is no Noise here." Serena nodded.

"Well there is no Noise here, but it does have Adepts and a corrupted organization called Sumeragi." Zeo added.

"Adepts? Sumeragi?" Kanade and Serena were curious at what those two names mean.

"Let's find a place to land first, and then we'll explain what this world is." Gaius suggested.

"You're right. Maybe that building over there seems safe to land." Serena pointed at a nearby building, it seems safe with no patrols lurking around the rooftop.

"Alright then, hold on tight everyone; landing could be a bit bumpy." Zeo nodded as they landed the Time Mazines onto an unoccupied building rooftop and got off the bikes.

"We're here, now how are we going to find a way to hide the Time Mazines?" Kanade asked.

"Uh...Hmm?" Gaius suddenly heard something. "A ringtone?"

Zeo then realised a small vibration from his right pocket, it was one of the Zikan Phones Einstein gave to the heroes back at the Zi-O Liner for long distance contact."Ah, it's mine. Gimme a moment, I'll answer it by video call." He then answered the phone call. "Hello? Who is this?"

"_Ah good, it works. It's me, Einstein. Just trying to test out the contact feature just in case." _Einstein contacted the heroes via video call.

"Huh, well that's understandable."

"_As for how to hide the Time Mazines, the phones should have that feature for an optic camouflage. It even has an auto-pilot feature just in case you were too far away from the bikes."_

"Hmm, well that's very convenient." Gaius said.

"_Yup, never underestimate a genius like me. But enough of that, your team need to find that distortion ASAP. And try not to mess with the worlds too much unless you want Murphy's Law or Butterfly Effect to hit you in the face."_

"We'll keep that in mind, thanks." Gaius nodded as does everyone else.

"_Good, contact me if something else comes up. Other than that, good luck. The fate of the worlds depends on your actions."_ And with that, the video call ended as Zeo and Gaius activated optic camouflage on the Time Mazines and placed the phones back into their pockets.

"Right then before we get started, would you guys explain to me and Serena about this world?" Kanade asked.

"Well for starters, this world has several people called 'Adepts' that have developed 'Septimal powers', basically giving them superpowers like flight, super strength and magic for example." Zeo explained. "This world is at peace thanks to the efforts of a world-spanning corporation known as the Sumeragi Group. However, the Sumeragi Group is, in reality, controlling and experimenting on adepts."

"I see...so this peace-keeping organization is nothing but a corrupted one on the inside?" Kanade frowned.

"And experimenting and controlling Adepts? That's horrible..." Serena added.

"Yeah, sad truth isn't it?" Zeo nodded. "However there is one Adept who was able to stop them and eliminated their leader. Gunvolt, the Azure Striker. A powerful Adept who has control over lightning. He fights with a special gun that fires Dart Bullets, which helps him lock onto enemies and then use his signature Flashfield ability to zap the locked foe from a distance. His Flashfield will also help him hover and shield him from physical projectiles. His other abilities include Prevasion, which lets him evade attacks as long as he has enough energy."

"Wow, one guy managed to take down an entire organization? Sounds like a badass to me, especially with those powers of his." Kanade said with her hands on her hips.

"He still is, but he had some help along the way. The most notable one is a girl named Joule, an artificial human created in a lab operated by the Sumeragi Group. She was imbued with the Septima called, 'The Muse', a power that enables her to gift other Adepts with enhanced strength with her songs, even going so far as being able to bring people back from the dead."

"The Muse?" Kanade and Serena were very curious. It reminded them of a certain power they also had.

"Kinda reminds you of your Relic powers when you sing to transform and fight?" Zeo stated. "But Joule's power is far different than yours. Also Joule has an alter-ego named Lumen, which is basically a human fairy."

"Is that so?" Kanade raised her eyebrow. "Anyway so what happened next?"

"Well Gunvolt went on to defeat the other Sumeragi Adept generals along with their leader, Nova." Gaius explained. "It was going to have a happy ending but...well something went horribly wrong."

"I'm not going to like the answer, aren't I?" Kanade asked as Zeo and Gaius nodded in response. Yep, you're definitely not gonna like it.

Gaius then continued the story. "After the battle with Nova and escaping, Gunvolt runs into Asimov, his father figure and the leader of QUILL, a secret organization that also fights against Sumeragi, offers Gunvolt and Joule new places in QUILL, and reveals an ulterior motive: with Sumeragi in shambles, Asimov wishes to use Lumen, along with the Sumeragi satellite, to wipe out the human race as payback for suppression of adepts."

"WHAT?!" Kanade and Serena were shocked at the truth.

"Gunvolt refuses his offer, telling Asimov that he is no better than Sumeragi was, and Asimov responds by shooting him through the heart using a special gun that is capable of firing bullets that can suppress an Adept's powers, before turning the gun on Joule and shooting her as well, leaving them both for dead."

"No...his leader betrayed and killed them...?!" Serena exclaimed.

"That bastard...so this was his plan all along?! Just for revenge on the humans for the Adept abuse?!" Kanade growled in anger. "Did any of his agents or operators know about this?"

"Nope, it's only himself keeping this dark secret." Zeo slowly shook his head. "Fortunately, Gunvolt survived the shot thanks to Joule's special pendant given to him as a gift during those missions. That pendant had power that allowed Lumen to rescue him at the very last minute. As for when he wakes up and saw Joule's dead body...let's just say he did not take it too well."

"Gunvolt...Joule..." Serena felt sad about Gunvolt and Joule's fate.

Zeo then continued the story. "In an act of love in order to save his life and be with him wherever he goes, Joule forsook her physical form by fusing her mind and personality with Lumen before further fusing herself into Gunvolt's septimal energy, which amplifies Gunvolt's power to its utmost limits. Her body may be gone, but her spirit lives on inside of him. With that revelation taken care of, he sets off to find Azimov and finds him in the space elevator where they had their final showdown. Gunvolt then noticed that Azimov had the same septimal powers as him, which is basically fighting fire with fire, or in this case, fight lightning with lightning."

"Did Gunvolt managed to win?" Serena asked.

"Yup, he did after a very difficult battle." Gaius nodded. "Before dying, Azimov warns Gunvolt that he will never be truly free of conflicts in his life."

"So what? That won't stop Gunvolt from protecting innocent people and friends he cares for. And there is still a way for humans and Adepts to live in peace, right?" Kanade stated.

"As long as he doesn't sacrifice himself for the wrong reasons, then it's possible. And I agree with that second part, violence is not the only way to bring peace to the world."

"So where is Gunvolt and Joule now?" Serena asked.

"As of this moment, working as a solo agent to take down the remaining members of Sumeragi." Gaius explained. "They're now living in a new apartment along with some new friends, Xiao, a young adept whom Gunvolt befriended and acts as his navigator on missions, and Quinn, a human girl who takes care of them while harboring strong feelings for Gunvolt, much to Joule's dismay."

"I get the feeling this is going to be a complicated love triangle since Joule is inside of Gunvolt." Kanade sweatdropped.

"Yeah, kind of. But they eventually made up later on. And that's all the info I got on this world so far."

"Wait Gaius, should we talk about Copen too? The Adept Slayer?" Zeo asked.

"Copen? Adept Slayer?" Kanade and Serena were now curious about this Copen person.

"Yep, Copen Kamizono is his name and a precocious young scientist." Zeo nodded and then explained. "After the death of his father, Dr. Kamizono, at the hands of an Adept, Copen deems Adepts a threat to humankind and sets out on a journey to eradicate all Adepts with extreme prejudice, whether dangerous or otherwise. To do so, he harnesses the power of a hand-crafted shield named Aixgear, which has the power to copy the abilities of Adepts via Glaive shards. Glaves are basically superpowers in a bottle, use them and it will grant you powers in an instant. During his initial journey, he crosses paths with Gunvolt numerous times, whom he forces into fights to destroy him.

"Wait, doesn't Copen know that Gunvolt is stopping Sumeragi?" Kanade asked.

"His hatred to all Adepts runs too deep to give them a chance to talk reason and would rather kill them instead." Gaius replied. "Remember that gun Azimov used to kill Gunvolt and Joule? That originally belonged to Copen until it was stolen from him after Azimov gave him quite a nasty beatdown."

"Well that explains how Copen was able to defeat those Adepts without those Septimal powers. Did he get his weapon back btw?"

"He did, though his Aixgear is destroyed from the fight; but he did some upgrades to his weapons and armor a few weeks later after Azimov's defeat, including building a special support drone AI named Lola, An Autonomous Combat Pod, or ACP for short."

"That's amazing, although I hope Copen can get rid of his deep hatred someday and maybe work together with Gunvolt to make this world a better place." Serena said.

"Yeah, me too." Zeo nodded. "Speaking of which Gaius, which timeline are we at?"

"Hmm...actually I'm not sure at the moment." Gaius replied.

"Uh guys? Does this frozen city give you any clues or something?" Kanade pointed to the direction of a frozen city covered with lots of ice. Everyone was shocked to see buildings completely frozen, especially that tall building that looks like a hotel.

"A city full of ice...did an Adept do this?" Serena asked.

"I can think of one Adept who did this, Tenjian the Ice Adept." Zeo answered. "Well, guess we know which timeline we are in, Azure Striker Gunvolt 2."

"Wait a sec, I thought you guys said that Sumeragi is in shambles." Kanade asked.

"It is, but this time it's caused by a new organization who causing havoc right now, its name is Eden." Gaius replied.

"Eden...?" And now Kanade and Serena are curious about Eden.

"That's right, a pro-Adept group hellbent on wiping the human race off the face of the Earth to create a paradise where Adepts can thrive." Gaius explained. "Joule was recently captured by Eden's forces and split into nine Shards, each containing a fragment of her Septima, and the Shards are distributed among Eden's Seven, a band of particularly powerful Adepts who headline Eden's strongest, and Tenjian happens to be one of those Seven. Luckily Gunvolt and Copen managed to snatch one Shard each from Eden. While Gunvolt seeks to reclaim the Shards to save Joule, Copen discovers that the Shards' power has the ability to heal his ill sister, Mytyl Kamizono; to this end, Copen sets out to claim the Shards for himself to save his sister."

"A pro-activist cult next huh?" Kanade said. "Man, it's just one big mess after another huh? That, and both Gunvolt and Copen are after the same thing. I wonder who is Eden's leader anyway?"

"A former member of the Sumeragi Group named Zonda, the Mirror Adept who can create copies of herself." Zeo replied. "Copen thought he killed him last time, but guess what, that was just a clone. The real Zonda is still alive, and is now leading Eden."

"I get the feeling that this Adept is going to be very difficult to take down."

"Yup, final boss level to be exact." Zeo nodded. "Now then, who's up for investigating a frozen city? Maybe we'll run into Gunvolt and Copen along the way, hopefully to stop them from fighting each other for a while."

"What should we do about Tenjian?" Serena asked.

"He should be located at that Five Star Hotel there on the top floor so we'll go after him along the way." Zeo pointed at the tall frozen hotel.

"Well then what are we all waiting for? Time to get started on this mission!" Kanade declared.

"Alright! Everyone, transform and move out!" Zeo nodded as everyone began their transformation.

**ZI-O!**

**GEIZ!**

"Henshin!" Zeo and Geiz yelled as they began their transformation.

**RIDER TIME!**

**KAMEN RIDER! ZI-O!**

**KAMEN RIDER GEIZ!**

At the same time the Riders are transforming, Kanade and Serena then closed their eyes and sang their respective Relic chant.

"_Croitzal ronzell Gungnir zizzl..." _

"_Seilien coffin Airgetlám tron..."_

After the Relic chant, they and their Relics glowed in a bright light. And in a few moments, everyone has donned their armors.

Kanade's form is now a white, black and orange bodysuit with an exposed stomach, thigh-high boots, bulky gauntlets on her wrists, and rabbit ear like headphones. Her weapon, the Armed Gear, was a long red and white spear with a yellow blade.

Serena's form is now a silver and light yellow bodysuit, pink fairy wings on her back, tiara like headphones, silver and purple gloves, silver and purple shoes, and wearing a silver and pink battle skirt. Her Armed Gear is a silver knife with a magenta gem on the hilt.

"You did NOT just quote that, Zeo." Geiz deadpanned.

"Sorry, force of habit." Zi-O said and then looked at the Attuned. "On a personal note there ladies, your Symphogear armors looks very awesome. I'm surprised you both still have your Relics even after your deaths."

"Thanks! Same for you guys in your armors too." Kanade smiled. "As for our Relics, well we're not really sure how we still have them. Maybe we'll figure it out later, though what is a Kamen Rider anyway? You never told us that part yet?"

"We didn't? Oh sorry about that. Basically Kamen Riders are heroes who protect everyone's smiles, their freedom and to protect the ones that can't defend themselves."

"Ah I see; so how many Kamen Riders are there so far?" Serena asked.

"A lot, and quite a long list there too, but we'll talk more when this mission is over."

"Right then, let's move." Geiz nodded as everyone jumped from rooftop to rooftop and towards their destination, the Five Star Hotel located in the center of the frozen city.

* * *

As they are approaching their destination, they ran into plenty of Eden soldiers wearing dark blue battlesuits with blasters and energy swords/knifes, alongside drones and mechs with shields.

"Wow, welcome wagon already?" Zi-O quipped. "No point negotiating with them, it's killed or be killed now!"

**ZIKAN GILADE!**

**ZIKAN ZAX!**

Everyone brought out their weapons and began the assault on the Eden grunts. Zi-O blocked several shots then performed a jumping overhead slash on one grunt, followed by a spiral slash on the surrounding grunts as they all exploded after that.

Geiz threw his axe onto a grunts' chest, ran into him a pulled out the axe, followed by charging his energy, jumping up and then slammed the axe into the ground, taking out most of the grunts.

Kanade did a few forward thrusts and slashes with her spear onto the grunts, and then did a charged forward thrust to a few grunts, mechs and drones. Not even shields can stop her.

Serena created several knifes and launched them onto the grunts and drones. Then she charged some energy onto her knife and threw it onto a few more grunts, mechs and drones as the knife pierced through all of them.

After a few minutes, the Eden troops were destroyed, leaving with lots of broken parts on the ground.

"Phew...still got it! Not bad guys! You too, Serena. You fight with your Armed Gear well." Kanade complimented.

"Thank you, Kanade, I appreciate it. Same for you and your Armed Gear too." Serena replied.

"Glad to have you both on our side, well time to keep moving." Zi-O added as everyone kept moving on towards the frozen hotel. After a few minutes of running, Zi-O heard some gunfire, lasers and electric noises.

"Hey guys, I think I heard fighting up ahead!" Zi-O said and when they got there, they saw two people fighting each other. Zi-O and Geiz's eyes from inside their helmets were wide open as they know who those people are.

"Whoa, is that Gunvolt and Copen?" Zi-O asked.

"That's them alright! Damn, they're starting to fight each other already..." Geiz replied as they saw the two figures pointing their guns at each other.

One of those people is a young teenager with blue eyes, spiky blonde hair and a longer ponytail, with purple, pink and blue colors on the end of his of it. He wears a dark blue and black detailed bodysuit while his coat is a much darker blue with small black stripes with a white and blue neck brace, and wearing black boots with glowing blue highlights. He's using a black gun with white gatling with a blue sphere. That is Gunvolt, the Azure Striker. He's accompanied by a tiny floating white light named Joule.

The other one is also a young teenager with red eyes and short white hair while wearing a headphone-like communicator. He wears a black bodysuit, white armour with red and blue highlights, a red cross on his chest plate, jet boosters on his back, and wears red boots that also have jet boosters. He's using a white gun with black highlights. That is Copen Kamizono, the Adept Slayer. He's also accompanied by a small white and red combat support droid named Lola, along with the support bits.

"Will you cut it out already, Copen?! I'm not here to fight you!" Gunvolt yelled.

"Stay out of my way, Adept! I need those Shards to save my sister!" Copen exclaimed.

"Maybe I can help you somehow!"

"I don't need any help from an Adept like you!"

"Ugh...this is going nowhere at this rate...!"

After that conversation, they continued to clash with each other with bullets, lasers and electricity.

"Gunvolt is right about that, should we do something about this?" Zi-O asked Geiz.

"I'm not sure at the moment, we need a plan first." Geiz pondered.

"Wait...where's Kanade?" Serena asked looking around...until the three saw Kanade running towards Gunvolt and Copen.

"Oh come on! Seriously?!" Zi-O/Geiz exclaimed. This won't end well.

As Gunvolt and Copen are about to clash once more, down comes Kanade from above, performing a downward spear stab to the ground between the two fighters, sending a shockwave that pushed them back.

"That's enough for the both of you! Will you all please cut it out with this useless nonsense for a second?!" Kanade shouted.

Gunvolt and Copen were surprised at the newcomer, coming out of nowhere to stop the fight from going any further.

"What the...?" Gunvolt said.

"Huh? Who are you supposed to be anyway? Are you an Adept like him?" Copen asked.

"Okay first off, my name is Kanade Amou. Second, I'm not an Adept, I'm an Attuned." Kanade answered.

"An...Attuned?" That got Gunvolt confused at what it means.

"Correct. I'm also here to stop an Ice Adept from turning this city into an ice age."

"Are you also going after those Shards?" Copen asked.

"Actually, I'm just here to kick his ass. Enough said." Kanade replied.

"Then stay out of my way. I don't care if you're an Attuned or an Adept, you won't stop me from getting that Shard."

"I also need those Shards to save Joule." Gunvolt said.

"I said, stay out of my way!" Copen snapped.

"Ugh, could you at least show a little compassion first?!" Kanade exclaimed.

"Uhh...Boss? Sorry to interrupt, but we got an even bigger problem coming this way." Lola the combat droid said.

"What 'bigger problem'?" Copen asked as he got his answer when two more armored figured showed up and slowly walked towards him, Gunvolt and Kanade. Something that made Kanade feel shocked as she saw something familiar, thanks to the info from the Riders.

"Wait...those two look familiar..." Kanade said as she looked at those corrupted armored figures.

One of them is wearing silver, black and red lined armor, along with a yellow and red round helmet. That is Another Faiz. The other one is wearing dark grey, with silver and yellow lined armor, along with a purple and yellow round helmet. Also his helmet and chest plate is yellow lined crossed shaped. That is Another Kaixa.

"Those corrupted armors...are those the Another Riders Zeo and Gauis mentioned before?" Kanade muttered. "Though they do look different, are there more of them besides the ones Zeo, Gaius and Akira fought?"

"What the gacking hell is that?!" Gunvolt exclaimed.

"I'm not really sure either, GV. I've never seen those two before..." Joule then appeared in her idol form beside Gunvolt. Joule looks to be around a child-like age, has long blonde hair tied into a ponytail with two pink strips that mimic a butterfly's antenna. On her head she wears a butterfly-shaped hairband that also functions as headphones. She has gleaming blue and white detailed butterfly wings. She's also wearing a white outfit with blue stripes and white diamond details at the end of her skirt; and also wearing long white and blue striped socks along with black shoes with a blue butterfly on it.

"Whoever they are, they won't get in my way!" Copen said as he rushed towards the new enemies with his boosters.

"Wait, Boss! Something's not right here!" Lola exclaimed.

But it was too late, as Copen is about to tackle Another Faiz, it managed to catch him on the neck with no effort.

"What the...! It managed to catch me?!" Copen exclaimed. He tried to break himself free but was then punched to the chest so hard that he flew a few metres back into the air.

"Copen!" Gunvolt yelled as Copen was flung to the air, until Kanade swooped in and managed to catch Copen and landed safely to the ground.

"That was way too close, don't worry, I got you." Kanade said as she put Copen down and standing safely.

A few seconds later, Serena and the Kamen Riders caught up with Kanade. They were feeling a bit angry that Kanade ran off to stop Gunvolt and Copen first as she and the Riders are busy planning.

"Kanade! What were you thinking, running off like that?!" Serena yelled.

"Sorry, but I can't sit back and watch them kill each other over nothing. That, and there's these two." Kanade replied and pointed at the Another Riders behind her.

"Another Riders?!" Serena and the Riders were shocked to find them this early.

"Oh crap, I know those two Rider forms." Zi-O said. "That's Another Faiz and...Another Kaixa? Well that one is new in my book."

"He never showed up before in Sougo's journey before so yeah, definitely new." Geiz added.

"Well either way, at least we found our troublemakers making those Distortions."

"Distortions?" That confused Gunvolt and Copen.

"We'll explain later. Right now leave it to us to take down those corrupted Riders." Kanade said to Gunvolt and Copen. "You guys go after that Ice Adept."

"Actually...mind if I stay and fight with you guys?" Gunvolt asked as it surprised Copen at his choice.

"Wait what? You're going to trust them just like that?" Copen asked Gunvolt.

"I'm not so sure myself, but if those things are let loose for too long, a lot of innocent people are going to be in danger. If you wanna go after that Shard, then go on ahead, I won't stop you since I got something else to deal with right now."

"GV..." Joule said.

"Well Boss, what are you gonna do now?" Lola asked as Copen pondered at what do to next. After a few seconds of thinking, he made his decision.

"...Call this a temporary truce for now, Gunvolt." Copen said. "Once these two are dealt with, we're going after Tenjian. That includes the four of you as well. I'll think about what to do next after we take him down and I'm gonna need some explanations too."

"Copen...thanks." Gunvolt said.

"Hmph...like I said, temporary. Just try not to slow me down."

"Noted."

"Lola, we're working alongside them for now. It's time for some payback." Copen said.

"Right behind you, Boss!" Lola replied.

"Joule, lend me your strength. It's time to help them out." Gunvolt said.

"I'm with you, GV!" Joule replied as she turned back into a small white light.

"See? Now this is more like it!" Kanade smiled.

"You're going to be in big trouble when all of this is over, Kanade..." Zi-O warned her. Kanade is still as reckless as ever.

"Oh come on! I was only trying to help out!"

"Stop arguing and start fighting already!" Geiz exclaimed.

Copen began firing his gun at the Another Riders while the bits hovering around Copen unleashed a spread of lightning bolts called Stellar Spark onto the targets. Gunvolt tagged them with a few shots from his gun and unleashed his Flashfield as it electrocuted the tagged targets.

Serena then threw her knife in the air above the Another Riders, before it stopped and quickly descended, striking the targets and creating an explosion.

**XANA†TEARS**

However those attacks don't do much as the Another Riders barely made a scratch and only slightly pushed them back.

"What the...our attacks aren't doing anything?!" Gunvolt exclaimed.

"No, but it did gave us an opening!" Zi-O said as he, Geiz and Kanade rushed to the corrupted Riders as they began their assault with some punches, kicks and spear stabs/slashes. But the corrupted Riders managed to evade their attacks and countered them with strong kicks and punches, pushing back the heroes.

"Tch...this is going nowhere, we better finish this quickly." Geiz muttered. "Zi-O, we need to do a Finish Time now!"

"I'm with you on that, let's go!" Zi-O nodded as he and Geiz pushed the button on their respective Ridewatches, pressed the tilt button on their belts, and then rotate a 360.

**FINISH TIME!**

As the Riders prepared to jump to perform their Rider Kick, floating letters that spelled 'Kick' in kakatana surrounded the Another Riders.

**TIME BREAK!**

**TIME BURST!**

They then both jumped high and performed a powerful right kick with the surrounding kakatanas merging into one, colliding onto their right boot, and then striking the Another Riders as they tried to counter them with a powerful right punch, causing an explosion as a result. They then backflipped away from the explosion and landed in front of the other heroes.

"Did we get them?" Serena asked.

But after the dust settled, the Another Riders were nowhere to be seen. Looks like they managed to escape during the explosion.

"Not quite, sensors indicate that they are heading inside that Five Star Hotel!" Lola replied.

"Damn it! Could they be regrouping to Tenjian right now?" Copen said.

"From the looks of it, I think so." Kanade answered. "Wait, could they be working together somehow?"

"I'm not quite sure Kanade, they're still victims in those armors." Zi-O replied. "Me and Geiz are the only ones who can free them, just like how we freed you and Serena."

Gunvolt and Copen were shocked at the identity of the Another Riders. The victims' minds were being corrupted somehow?

"Wait, you mean to tell me that those are innocent people in those armors?!" Gunvolt asked.

"I'm afraid so." Zi-O nodded. "Don't worry we'll free them from their control."

"From Eden's control?" Copen asked.

"No...something a lot worse than Eden." Geiz corrected. "We'll tell you who later, but for now we better go after them."

"Noted."

* * *

As everyone ran inside the hotel, the entire interior was completely frozen along with the floors, along with plenty of ice traps. And can't forget that the hotel was full of Eden troops and machines. While everyone was on their way to the top floor and eliminating Eden troops and machines along the way, Gunvolt can't help but wonder about something.

"I've been wondering for a while though, where do you four get those armors and weapons anyway?" Gunvolt asked.

"For me and Geiz, it was given to us by our ally, Woz." Zi-O replied. "He once fought alongside our predecessors, the first Kamen Rider Zi-O and Geiz, and now we're the next generation of Kamen Riders."

"I see, and what is a Kamen Rider anyway?"

"Heroes who protect people's smiles, their freedom, and also protect the ones who cannot protect themselves."

"I see...and what about you girls? How did you get your powers?" Copen asked.

"Me and Serena are both Attuned, the ones that can manifest our Symphogear armours and Armed Gear weapons." Kanade replied. "We can transform by using the Relics with the power of our songs."

"Meaning you transform and fight by singing?"

"Yeah, weird I know, but that's how it goes for us. As for the Relics, they are ancient artifacts created a long time ago, way beyond current technology. My Relic is called Gungnir."

"And my Relic is called Airgetlam". Serena added.

"Hmm...not gonna lie, but it does sound very interesting." Copen said. "Hope you both know how to use those Relics wisely."

"No need to worry, we know that great power comes with great responsibility." Kanade replied. "Maybe you should trust Gunvolt more. He's using those Adept powers to protect innocent people and fight the corrupt Adepts."

"...it may take a while; my life is very complicated lately." Copen admitted.

"I understand, I won't pry about your life too much."

* * *

A few minutes later of running while plowing through more Eden troops and machines, they were around one floor left till they reach the top floor.

"Alright everyone, we're almost at the top floor. Tenjian is waiting for us." Zi-O said.

"...And unfortunately so are they." Geiz pointed out as someone else is waiting for them instead. It was Another Faiz and Kaixa, waiting for them right next to the stairs leading up to the top floor.

"Crap...well at least we found them, though I think Tenjian is beyond the next floor upstairs." Kanade said. "How should we go about this?"

"Gunvolt, Copen, you both go after Tenjian." Zi-O declared. "Don't want you both to waste your strength and energy fighting them."

"Will you guys be ok though?" Gunvolt asked.

"Don't worry, we know how to deal with Another Riders. Kanade, Serena, you go along with them."

"Wait, are you guys sure about this? Don't you need backup just in case?" Kanade asked.

"We can handle them, trust us." Geiz replied.

"...Alright then, if you say so. But after we're done with that Ice Adept, we're coming back to assist you both, got it?"

Geiz nodded in response. "Understood, now get going! Time is of the essence!"

And with that, Kanade, Serena, Gunvolt and Copen jumped above and passed through the Another Riders as they head for the top floor where Tenjian is waiting, while the Riders prepared their battle stances against the corrupted Riders. They have to stop them now before this gets worse.

"...You know, Gaius...maybe we should've brought along some of the Ridewatches before going on missions first." Zi-O admitted. The rest of the Ridewatches were still back at the Zi-O Liner.

"Yeah, you're right. Well too late now, better work with what we got." Geiz replied.

They then began their assault on the Another Riders, though unfortunately the corrupted Riders are starting to get the upper hand as Another Faiz delivered a powerful kick that sent Zi-O tumbling across the floor.

"Damn it...at this rate..." Zi-O muttered as he's standing up, until he heard a ringtone coming from his Zikan Phone. "Eh?! A phone call at a time like this?!"

"Ugh...better go answer it, I'll hold them off! But don't take too long!" Geiz said as he continued to fight the corrupted Riders.

Zi-O nodded and then answered the phone. "This had better be important, Einstein!"

"_Geez, no need to yell at me!" _Einstein said._ "Anyway there's another feature I forgot to tell you about your Zikan Phones. Gimme a moment, I'm transferring some data to you now."_

"Ok fine, but can you make it snappy? We're getting our asses kicked here!"

"_You can't rush perfection! One wrong move and your only hope is gone for good!"_

After a few moments of waiting from Zi-O while Geiz was still holding back the Another Riders...

"What the hell is taking so long?!" Geiz exclaimed.

"I'm sorry Gaius, but I-" Zi-O is about to reply until he saw something blinking on the phone. "Huh...this is...?"

"_Yup! Use the Materialise command now!"_ Einstein instructed.

"Understood!" Zi-O then used the Materialise command and then appeared two watches from his free hand, one in black color with Faiz' face and the other in yellow color with Kaixa's face. "Faiz and Kaixa Ridewatches...Gaius, catch!"

Zi-O then threw the Faiz Ridewatch towards Geiz as he then caught it and looked at it.

"The Faiz Ridewatch! Finally something to fight back!" Geiz said.

"Thanks again for help, Einstein! We'll take it from here!" Zi-O said.

"_My pleasure as always, boys!"_ Einstein replied, ending the call.

"Time to send you both back to the scrapyard!" Geiz declared as he and Zi-O turned the dial on their new Ridewatches and pushed the button.

**FAIZ!**

**KAIXA!**

They then inserted their watch on the left side of their belts, pressed the tilt button on their belts and then turned it 360.

**ARMOR TIME!**

**COMPLETE! FAIZ!**

**COMPLETE! KAIXA!**

Geiz's armor is now changed with a red and silver chest plate, his shoulder pads are large phones containing the powers of Faiz, and his helmet is yellow with red lines on it along with the antennae and the kakatana on his visor labelling the word Faiz on it. He also wields the FaizPhone X on his right hand that also functions as a blaster.

Zi-O's armor had the same parts as Geiz's armor along with the weapon. Only difference is the color of the chest plate is yellow and sliver with an X-shape, while his phone shoulder pads contained the powers of Kaixa, and the kakatana on his visor labelled the word Kaixa on it.

"You up for giving them some payback, Zi-O?" Geiz grinned from inside his helmet.

"You damn right I do, Geiz." Zi-O felt the same way.

They then rushed back to the Another Riders and this time, the heroes are getting the upper hand as they pushed back the corrupted Riders while firing a few blaster shots at them using their FaizPhone X. Geiz then dialled '555' on the phone while Zi-O dialled '913' as they both materialised a camera-like knuckle duster on their right hands.

**READY!**

**SHOT ON!**

They then rushed towards the Another Riders, dodging their attacks and countered them with right punches with their knuckle duster, ending with a powerful uppercut that sent the corrupted Riders flying and falling to the ground.

"Right then, Finish Time!" Geiz declared as he and Zi-O dialled the same respective numbers again and materialised a pointer on Geiz's right side of his right leg, while Zi-O has a binocular-like pointer on his right leg.

**READY!**

**POINTER ON!**

They then pushed the buttons on their Ridewatches, pushed the tilt button on their belts and turning a 360.

**FINISH TIME! FAIZ!**

**FINISH TIME! KAIXA!**

Geiz and Zi-O then both jumped high performing a forward flip, then shooting out a Photon beam from the pointers on their right legs, red and yellow respectively, and struck the Another Riders as it turned to their respective red and yellow cones of energy.

**EXCEED TIME BURST!**

**EXCEED TIME BREAK!**

Then the Riders kicked through their respective cones, drilling through the Another Riders and appeared right behind them like computer data. After a few seconds, the corrupted Riders exploded, leaving behind the Faiz and Kaixa symbols. At the same time, the two black corrupted watches come tumbling out of the explosion and then broke and shattered to small pieces.

"Another Riders, eliminated." Geiz declared.

"Nicely done, Gaius." Zi-O said as he and Geiz did a fist-bump for a job well done.

"You too, Zeo. I can never get tired of these gadgets."

"Amen to that, dude. Now let's see who we rescued this time."

As they saw the unconscious victims they rescued, Zi-O was shocked to see who they are and recognized them. One of them is a male with brown and red spiky hair, wearing a light blue and dark blue battle uniform. The other is a female with brown hair with a ponytail, wearing a white and grey uniform.

"Wait a sec...is that Zeno and Moniqa?! Gunvolt's old navigators?!" Zi-O exclaimed.

"Well, that was unexpected." Geiz said. "Of all the victims the Neo Time Jackers picked, why them?"

"I'm not sure, but for now, let's wait for the others to finish their fight with Tenjian."

* * *

**Meanwhile at the same time the Riders are fighting the Another Riders...**

While the Riders are busy dealing with the Another Riders, the remaining four heroes finally reached the entrance of the hallway located on the top floor of the hotel.

"Well this is it. Tenjian is just beyond this hallway. Everyone ready?" Gunvolt said.

"Hmph, do you really need to ask that, Gunvolt?" Copen replied.

"Just being cautious, you know."

"Relax guys, I'm sure we'll do just fine with the four of us working together." Kanade said.

"Still, we need to be very careful. Anything can happen in a short notice." Serena added.

After a few moments of running, they then noticed a figure waiting for them. A teenager with short, somewhat spiky white hair with his eyes shut. He wears a white suit, a blue waistcoat with gold highlights, had black shoes, a white and black jacket draped over his shoulders with blue and silver highlights, and wears a black belt with a sliver buckle and black gloves. That is Tenjian.

"Hmm...I was expecting one of you to arrive first. But this is new, both of you arrive at the same time, along with some new guests I've never met before." Tenjian said as he turned around to face them.

"Just cut the chatter and give us the Shard already, Tenjian!" Gunvolt yelled. "It does not belong to you in the first place!"

"I see...though who will get the Shard first, I wonder?"

"We'll think about that AFTER we eliminate you, Eden Adept!" Copen replied.

"I think it's time for you to chill out, frosty!" Kanade added.

"You've been causing this city enough trouble already! It's time for us to put you down immediately!" Serena also added.

"Hmph...in that case, it's time for me to teach you fools a lesson. You humans are the reason for all this suffering!" Tenjian said as he pulled out a magical tome called a Grimoire. The tome then opened up and out comes several dark butterflies as they absorbed him, along with the tome, into a blue and dark blue sphere of light, transforming him.

After a while, the sphere dissipated as the transformation is complete. Tenjian now has bright blue hair with his eyes open, revealing black eyes, each with a single pale blue pupil. He wears black and gray armor with white and blue highlights, with two wing-like appendages attached to his lower back. His swords are stored in two black half-spheres attached to his shoulders by arm-like appendages. This is his Grimoired Form.

"I've been prepared since our last fight, Adept." Tenjian said as he brings out his blue twin blades. "The weak shall yield to the strong, as you all will yield to my blades! Now then, En Garde!"

Tenjian then rushed towards the heroes, leaving behind a spiked icy trail as the heroes dodged him. He then began to throw his two Circle Moon Rings at them. The heroes were able to dodge them too because if caught, it would trap them, leaving an opening for Tenjian to strike. Tenjian then combined his twin blades into a double blade and threw it like a boomerang as it flew to Gunvolt, luckily he managed to dodge it.

"One with your power could easily wipe out humanity! Why cut ties with QUILL only to fight your own?" Tenjian asked Gunvolt.

"We're all humans- Septimas or not." Gunvolt replied.

"In my land, adepts were hunted from birth. My parents abandoned me to wander the streets alone. When I finally collapsed from hunger, a human gave me food."

"Then how can you claim all humans are evil?!" Serena exclaimed.

"The food was poisoned!" Tenjian replied. "... I barely survived. It was then I realized our two kinds cannot know peace."

"Not all humans are so cruel, Tenjian." Gunvolt said. "Quinn, Zi-O, Geiz, Kanade, Serena, they're all human and they cared for me. Me, Tenjian! An Adept!"

"Perhaps a small few share their views, but I doubt it." Tenjian replied. "History proves humans have no tolerance for the unique. Only the strong survive... and Adepts are strong!"

"Then you REALLY need to have a reality check, you moving popsicle!" Kanade exclaimed. "We humans are not as weak as you think and there's still ways to find peace between humans and Adepts! You're just too damn stubborn to understand that!"

"You don't get a say in this, human!"

"Then there's no point in reasoning with you either." Copen said. "It's time to take this monster to church!"

"Oversurge! Azure Striker! Thaw this heart of hatred!" Gunvolt declared.

Copen dashed to Tenjian and struck him with a kick, resulting Tenjian being tagged. Copen then jumped back and fired bullets with his gun, while the bits fired homing lasers, damaging Tenjian in the process.

Gunvolt then rush towards Tenjian, firing tag bullets onto him while unleashing his Flashfield to electrocute him. As Gunvolt got close, he then used his Dragonsphere technique, creating an orb of electricity, shoved the orb onto Tenjian's chest, and pushed the orb away as it drags along ending with a small blue explosion that caused Tenjian tumbling to the floor.

Tenjian was not happy as he stood up and used his twin blades to stab the floor, freezing it completely.

"Did he just freezed the floor?!" Serena exclaimed. "Be careful not to slip, everyone!"

"Ok, he REALLY wasn't kidding about being prepared for this!" Kanade added.

Tenjian then jumped up and performed an overhead slash with his twin blades towards the heroes, leaving behind an ice wall. He then performed a dashing thrust right through the wall while the heroes managed to evade the attack.

Serena then jumped up and threw her knife onto Tenjian, creating a small explosion as it struck him while blocking.

**GNOME†TRIAL**

Kanade then pierces the ground with her spear, cracking the ground until it struck Tenjian as he was being heavily pushed back.

**SATURN∞BREAK**

"Tch...! To push me this far...it's time for my ultimate technique!" Tenjian declared as performed his trump card.

"**Frigid Blossom!"**

Tenjian shouted as he gathers up frosty air, jumped up and disappeared from sight.

"Wait, where did he go?!" Kanade asked as she looked around the hallway for Tenjian.

Unfortunately she was caught by a light-blue light as she was flash-freezed and then trapped in a snowflake prison.

"Kanade!" Serena yelled.

"This ends now!" Tenjian declared as he delivered a powerful downward slash from above and onto Kanade, slicing her along with the snowflake prison and she was sent falling to the ground.

Everyone was about to rush towards Kanade but was then halted by Tenjian as he prepared his battle stance once more. However a few seconds later, everyone heard Kanade's voice that also shocked Tenjian.

"Ugh...It will take more than that to stop me!" Kanade muttered as she slowly stood up after being hit by Tenjian's strongest technique.

"Impossible! She survived my technique?!" Tenjian exclaimed.

"Now you'll see what an Attuned can REALLY do!" Kanade declared as she then began...singing?

**(Plays BGM: Gyakkō no Resolve by Kanade Amou)**

Tenjian was confused at what Kanade is doing, but Serena knew what Kanade's doing, using the power of song to fight on and never give up. The same power Serena also has, the power of an Attuned. As for the other heroes, they were either in awe or confused at what Kanade is doing.

"Is Kanade...singing...?" Gunvolt asked.

"Is that what she means by fighting and singing?" Copen added.

"So this...is her song?" Joule also added as she appeared in her idol form.

"Wow, so that's her song huh? I think she's got this." Lola said as she was somehow changed to her idol form due to Kanade's song. Lola resembled a young girl with short minty green hair, had purple eyes, wearing a red and white swimsuit-like clothing with bits of gold, white leggings with black and red shoes, and black gloves with red fingers. She also has two white and red disc-like objects known as "Speaker Pods" that broadcast songs at her hips, which also sprout red wing-like holograms, which vaguely resemble phoenix wings.

"I don't care what song you're singing, I'll silence you permanently!" Tenjian rushed towards Kanade as he's about to stab her, but Kanade blocked the attack with her spear and swiped him back a few metres. Then she rushes towards Tenjian and began her attack with forward thrusts, stabs and slashes. Tenjian tried to guard, but it was broken as he was being pushed back as she damaged his armor piece by piece.

"What?! I'm being pushed back?!" Tenjian exclaimed.

"Like I said Tenjian, it will take more than that to stop me!" Kanade yelled as she then thrust her spear onto Tenjian's chest, raised him up aiming for the ceiling while he's still being stabbed, and then she unleashed a powerful tornado that sent him flying further while also damaging the hotel as it tore through the ceiling.

**STAB∞METEOR**

"Everyone, now's your chance!" Kanade shouted.

The heroes nodded as everyone prepared to unleash their strongest attacks.

Serena created two replicas of her Armed Gears, before making them rushing towards Tenjian, striking him several times from every angles, ending with a cross slash.

**FAIRIAL†TRICK**

"**Shred Storm!"**

Copen shouted as he commanded the bits to rush towards Tenjian, striking him in blinding speeds, ending with a trail of three red lines as a final slash.

"**Voltaic Chains!"**

Gunvolt shouted as he used his Septima to create several large chains that surrounded and trapped Tenjian inside, then electrocuted the chains as Tenjian screamed in pain.

"And here's one more for good measure!" Kanade shouted as she then jumped up high and performed a powerful downward strike while standing on her spear as it pierced onto Tenjian's chest, breaking through the chains and to the floor, ending with a massive impact.

**GRAVITY∞PAIN**

"This...can't be...!" are the last words Tenjian said as he exploded in blue flames, leaving behind several blue butterflies that flew towards Joule and Lola, absorbing the Shard equally. The Grimoire then closed itself and then burned to dust.

"This fight is over." Gunvolt declared.

**(BGM End)**

"So...that was a Septima Shard huh?" Kanade said as she looked at Joule and Lola that absorbed the Shard.

"I never expected the Shard to go into both Joule and Lola." Serena admitted. "So, what now?"

"...For now let's check on the Kamen Riders and see if they need help." Copen replied.

"Yeah...we'll think about what happened later." Gunvolt nodded. With that, everyone went back to the area where the Kamen Riders are fighting.

* * *

**After the Another Riders defeat...**

A few minutes later, the heroes arrived and regrouped with the Kamen Riders, only to see that the fight is already over.

"Ah, there you are! I take it Tenjian is down for the count?" Zi-O asked.

"Yup, we got the Shard from him too." Kanade replied. "So, who do you guys rescue this time?"

As they saw the Another Rider victims, Gunvolt's eyes were wide open as he was shocked to find out who the two were and instantly recognized them.

"What the...Zeno?! Moniqa?!" Gunvolt exclaimed. "Those are the victims of the Another Riders?!"

"You know those two, Gunvolt?" Serena asked.

"Yeah, they used to be my old navigators in the past...who did this to them?

"The ones called the Neo Time Jackers." Geiz answered. "They used the Another Riderwatches to corrupt them and turned them into Another Riders as their slaves."

"Those gacking bastards are gonna pay for this...!" Gunvolt growled in anger. "You're right about them being worse than Eden."

"Where did they come from anyway?" Copen asked. "The only threats we know of are Sumeragi and Eden."

"Um...about that...they are actually not from this world." Zeo admitted. "They are basically evil dimension/world travellers."

"Dimension/world travellers?" Gunvolt and Copen were confused.

"I think it's time to explain everything about who we are and why we're here so please listen." Serena said.

After a long explanation about who the heroes are, along with some introductions, the Neo Time Jackers and the reason why the four heroes arrived in this world in the first place along with their roles...

"I can't believe it...so that's why you're in this world to begin with?" Copen asked.

"Correct, because if we don't fix this distortion, this world will cease to exist. No survivors, nothing will be left." Zi-O answered.

"I see...well after seeing what those Neo Time Jackers did to Zeno and Moniqa, I think I'll trust you." Gunvolt said. "Also, thanks for saving them."

"You're welcome, it's what a Kamen Rider would do anyway."

"What about you, Copen? You wanna trust them too?" Gunvolt asked.

"Hmmm..." Copen pondered about what path to take in this situation.

"Boss, I think we should trust them." Lola suggested. "I mean they did come here to save this world from extinction. We don't wanna make any more enemies either."

"...Sorry, it's gonna take a while for this info to sink in properly." Copen said.

"Can't argue with that. Though seeing is believing in some cases." Kanade admitted.

"I'll keep that in mind. Hm? "Copen then noticed something ringing on his communicator placed on his ear. "One moment, my navigator is calling." He then answered the call. "Nori, what's going on?"

"_We've got trouble, Copen!"_ A female voice named Nori contacted Copen._ "A bunch of Eden Adepts broke into the mansion and kidnapped Mytyl!_

"WHAT?!" That really shocked Copen. Eden kidnapped someone?!

"_Forgive me, Copen! I should've seen this coming and—"_

"You can apologize later. Does Mytyl still have her transmitter?"

"_Yes, I'm sending you the data immediately."_

"Good, I'm on my way." Copen ended the call and then turned towards the heroes. "Change of plans, Eden broke into my mansion and kidnapped my sister, Mytyl."

"WHAT?!" And now the other heroes were shocked at the news.

"And this is the second time they kidnapped her. There won't be a third time!"

"I see...Serena, we're going with Copen to save her sister." Geiz declared.

"Eh?" That surprised Copen and Serena. Especially Copen since they want to help him.

"Shouldn't you four find that Distortion first?" Copen asked.

"True, but I don't wanna see you lose your sister to these assholes." Geiz replied. "I know how that felt like since I lost my parents."

"I see...my condolences to you then, Geiz."Copen nodded. "Very well, you can come and assist. But we need to hurry before they find the transmitter."

"Understood. Zi-O, Gunvolt, Kanade, see if you three can locate Eden's base of operations."

"Sure, but why though?" Gunvolt asked.

"Just in case we're too late to save Mytyl, so at least we know where they've taken her."

"Planning ahead huh? Not a bad idea." Copen said. "I suggest you follow his plan for the time being."

"Noted, be careful you three." Kanade replied and wished them luck.

After Copen, Geiz and Serena left the area and head towards the source of the transmitter, Zi-O began to ponder about something.

"Um...before we do our recon mission, what should we do about Zeno and Moniqa?" Zi-O asked.

"Let's drop them off outside QUILL HQ for now." Gunvolt replied. "It's best if they don't know about all of this."

"I see, though are you sure about this, GV?" Kanade said.

"I'm not ready to tell them the truth yet, it might open up old wounds..."

"GV...is this really ok for you?" Joule asked, appearing in her idol form.

"It's probably for the best, Joule. I need to keep moving forward."

"Very well then, GV. If you say so." Joule nodded.

"Don't worry, Joule. This time he's got us to help him back up and on his feet." Zi-O said.

"I see, I'm glad to hear th-wait...you can all see and hear me?!" Joule was very surprised, they can see and hear her while most people can't? Well that was unexpected.

"Huh, now that you mention it, I guess so. We must be a special case then." Kanade said.

"Oh, alright then. In the meantime please take good care of GV for me, and it's very nice to meet you all." Joule bowed to Zi-O and Kanade.

"Leave it to us, Joule! Pleasure to meet you!" Kanade smiled.

"Huh, well that was strangely convenient." Gunvolt said. "Alright everyone, it's time we get out of this frozen city. Maybe Xiao can help us plan on where to do our reconnaissance."

"Good idea, GV. Hold on, I'll call in the Time Mazine to give us a lift." Zi-O then pulled out the Zikan Phone and activated the Recall command for the Time Mazine.

"Time Mazine?"

**TIME MAZINE!**

A few moments later, the Time Mazine arrived and landed in front of the heroes.

"Wow, you got a really big bike there, Zi-O." Gunvolt whistled at the bike.

"Thanks, I love this thing." Zi-O replied. "You wanna take this for a spin? It's like riding a bike after all."

"Heh, sure why not, alright then hop in. Let's send Zeno and Moniqa to QUILL HQ first and then I'll take you both back to my apartment."

"You got it, lead the way, GV!" Kanade said, as everyone boarded the Time Mazine, while carrying Zeno and Monica, and then blast off and out of the frozen city.

* * *

_With the assistance of Gunvolt and Copen, our heroes have defeated the Another Riders and also Tenjian, one of Eden's generals. But their mission in this world is far from over as they have yet to locate the distortion to save this world from extinction. Though what is Eden planning to do with Copen's sister Mytyl and where is Eden's base of operations? As always...Only time will tell..._

**Chapter 1: Striker & Slayer**

**END**

* * *

**Author's Note: This Book takes place in both Gunvolt and Copen's story and they've already taken down three Adepts each. Expect plenty of changes as we go on to the rest of this Book. Until then, stay safe!**


	2. Chapter 2: Forfeit and Crossroads

**Azure and Crimson**

**Chapter 2: Forfeit and Crossroads**

_After the defeat of the Another Riders and the Ice Adept Tenjian, and also obtaining the Septima Shard, our heroes are about to plan their next move but were interrupted by an emergency call by Copen's navigator, Nori. Eden Adepts broke into Copen's mansion and kidnapped Copen's sister, Mytyl. While Gunvolt, Zi-O and Kanade went to QUILL HQ to drop off the freed and unconscious Zeno and Moniqa; Copen, Geiz and Serena quickly went to the transmitter signal Mytyl was still holding, and it led them to the sewer area. Right now, the three heroes quickly ran deep into the sewers hoping to find Mytyl before it was too late._

* * *

**Sewer Area**

"Alright everyone, the transmitter signal last picked up at the sewer area." Copen said.

"Noted, let's hurry and not waste time." Geiz nodded.

"_Forgive me Copen, __I've lost Mytyl's signal." _Nori apologized via communicator. "_Her transmitter may have been found, hurry!"_

"Damn it, those bastards are REALLY driving me crazy..." Copen muttered.

"I take it that's not good news?" Geiz asked.

"Um...guys? I think it's about to get worse." Serena then pointed out two figures in front of them with one of them floating in the air.

One of them is a young teenage girl that has red hair and black eyes with red irises. She wears a black and grey bodysuit with red highlights, with large wing like pieces of armour attached to her shoulder covering her arms. She also wears an armoured hood over her head. That is Gibril.

The other one floating is a young teenage boy that has dark green hair with a long, thorny ponytail that ends in a drill-like spike, and black eyes with green irises with no pupils. He is covered in black and green armour, with particular emphasis on his lower body. His knees, feet, and elbows have dark green spikes. He also wears a black crown that is lined with thorns. He also has two large floating bits on his back of which serve as data terminals. That is Teseo.

"Stop right there, Eden Adepts!" Copen exclaimed while pointing his gun at the Eden Adepts. "Where did you take Mytyl?!"

"Hey look, it's that dude who's in love with his sister!" Teseo said. "Though never saw his backup before. Sry! Already used my Septima "Hack the Planet" weeks ago. That's how we shipped her off to the Garden! ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯"

"_The Garden...?" _Copen and his team thought. Could that be Eden's HQ?

"Enough, Teseo! Will you shut your damn mouth for once?!" Gibril shouted. "Now leave and let me handle this like we discussed."

"Gibril Y U so tsundere?" Teseo teased.

"_Oh, he did NOT just say that to her."_ Geiz thought. If there is one thing he learned about tsunderes, it's to NEVER piss them off.

"JUST GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE ALREADY BEFORE I CHANGE MY MIND!" Gibril snapped.

"Fiiiiiine. Geez you're no fun..." Teseo muttered as he warps away in green pixels.

"Finally, about goddamn time!" Gibril exclaimed as she turned towards the heroes. "Now we get to the part where I utterly destroy you all! Get ready!"

"Ugh...guess Mytyl will have to wait until after we kick her ass." Geiz muttered as everyone began their battle stances.

Gibril proceeds to fly around the area, dropping blood liquid all over the floor. The heroes evaded the blood, because if touched, they could be trapped or worse, get crushed by an Iron Maiden.

"I don't need to get ready for a kid like you." Copen said to Gibril. "Back off, infant!"

"Oh, you did not just say that to me... You did not just say that!" Gibril snapped.

"So you admit you're a weak little child?"

"Again with the child thing! Seriously, what the hell is your problem anyway?!" Gibrill snapped again. "Alright, that's it! Now I'm REALLY pissed off! I'm gonna use your head for a bowling ball! And that goes for your allies too! Behold the Septima of iron blood... The fangs of Metallon!"

"Awww...what's the matter? Isn't it way past your bed time?" Geiz quipped.

"I. WILL. END. YOU. ALL." And Gibril is completely pissed off.

"_You guys are having _way _too much fun making fun of her age..." _Serena thought and sweatdropped.

"We better hurry up and finish this for Mytyl's sake! It's time we teach this petulant child some manners!" Copen declared.

"Roger that, Copen!" Geiz and Serena replied.

Gibril then shot more blood and then materialized them into metal axes and launches them to the heroes. The heroes were able to dodge them and began their counterattack. Geiz changed his Zikan Zax to Yumi Mode and began firing some shots to Gibril. Serena launched her knife and struck Gibril several times. Copen dashed to Gibril tagging her and then shot bullets and homing lasers until she fell to the ground.

"Damn it all! I better get serious about this!" Gibril muttered as she stood up and then began to purge out her armor for more mobility, along with red energy claws on her arms.

"Did she just took off her outer armor and has energy claws now?" Serena asked.

"Cast Off huh? If I remember correctly, that means she's gonna be faster and stronger." Geiz stated. "Be careful everyone! Looks like the kiddy gloves are off!"

"STOP CALLING ME A KID ALREADY!" Gibril snapped yet again.

"_Gaius, please cut it out already..._" Serena thought and sweatdropped again.

Gibril then began to rush at Geiz with several slashes with her claws. Geiz began to block and dodge her strikes as he struck back with his axe strikes. Gibril then focused her attack on Serena with a lunge attack. Serena tried to block it but it was an afterimage as the real Gibril appeared from above and struck Serena, sending her tumbling a few steps back. As Serena is slowly standing up, Gibril unleashed a large shockwave with an upward cut as the shockwave is fast approaching Serena. Luckily Copen was able to save Serena by boosting ahead and grabbing her a few moments before she was hit.

"Are you alright, Serena?" Copen asked.

"I-I'm fine, thanks Copen. That was careless of me..." Serena replied.

"Can you still fight on?"

"Yes, I can still fight. Don't worry, I'll be alright." Serena nodded.

As soon as their conversation ended, Gibril is about to deliver them a downward slash from the air, until she was hit by a charge shot thanks to Geiz using the Zikan Zax Yumi Mode. Gibril fell to the ground hard, tumbling back a few steps.

"Don't even think about hurting them, kid." Geiz quipped to Gibril.

Gibril was feeling really pissed after getting hit by that charged shot as she was slowly standing up and roared in anger, and also because she was being called a kid yet again.

"Alright...THAT'S IT! No more playing around, time to go all out!" Gibril declared as she summons an Iron Maiden and...went inside to kill herself?

"**Iron Maiden!"**

"Did...did she just killed herself?!" Serena exclaimed.

"No, she's amplifying her Blood Septima for more power!" Geiz corrected.

After a few seconds, the Iron Maiden spewed out blood, then it exploded and out comes Gibril, glowing in a menacing red Septima aura. She then creates a gigantic cage around the area, trapping her and the heroes inside. If Gibril's gonna die soon, she's taking the heroes with them.

"Oh crap, everyone, whatever you do, do NOT get careless at this state!" Geiz exclaimed. "Wait for the right moment to let down her guard, then we finish her!"

"Understood, watch yourselves everyone!" Serena nodded.

Gibril then jumped around the cage dropping blood liquids around the cage along the way. As she stopped jumping, she materialized the blood into blades that extended around the cage. The heroes were able to cautiously evade the blades as they extended around the cage. It also helps that Copen's invisible field barrier created from the bits was able to wipe away the blood liquids. After she stopped jumping a third time and landed on top of the cage to begin materializing the blades again, Geiz inserted the Faiz Ridewatch onto his Zikan Axe Yumi Mode as he saw his chance to deliver the final blow.

"Time for me to shoot up!" Geiz declared as he aimed above and prepared to fire.

**FINISH TIME!**

**GIWA GIWA SHOOT!**

Geiz fired off a powerful red photon arrow and stuck the unexpected Gibril as she then fell off the top of the cage.

"**Shred Storm!"**

"Here's some of this too!" Copen added as he commanded the bits to rush towards Gibril, striking her in blinding speeds, ending with a trail of three red lines as a final slash.

"And this is the finale!" Serena declared as she created two replicas of her knife Armed Gear, before making them rushing towards Gibril, striking her several times from every angles, ending with a cross slash.

**FAIRIAL†TRICK**

As the final attacks ended, Gibril fell to the floor hard and very exhausted with no strength left.

"Ugh...I hate you all..." are the last words Gibril muttered as she was turned into a pink mirror, and then it cracked itself to pieces leaving no trace of her left.

"And we hate you for kidnapping her sister in the first place." Geiz replied. "Though what's with that mirror thing earlier?"

"Well either way, we took out the Adept, but where are they taking Mytyl?" Lola asked.

"They said something about a placed called the Garden." Copen replied. "Maybe that's also where their main base is."

"_I'm looking into it as we speak."_ Nori contacted.

"Fast work, Nori. Thanks."

"_Don't thank me. It's my fault all of this is happening. You should head back, Copen. I'll let you __know when I found something."_

"Understood, I'll leave it to you." Copen ended the call and looked towards Geiz and Serena. "Everyone, we're heading back to my mansion before we plan our next move. We're done here."

"Before that though Copen, maybe we should call Gunvolt's team first and see if they find anything?" Serena suggested.

"Hmm...not a bad idea." Copen agreed. "Geiz, if you would?"

Geiz nodded as he contacted the other team using the Zikan Phone via video call.

"Hey guys, it's me Geiz." Geiz reported. "Sorry but we were too late to save Mytyl. They sent an angry little red loli Adept with energy claws after us as a distraction."

"_I see." _Gunvolt replied, and then realized something Geiz said._ "...Wait, an angry little red loli Adept? That's Gibril! Didn't I defeat her already during my mission at that Mysterious Manor?"_

"Wait, you mean you defeated her before? Then how did she manage to come back to life?" Copen asked.

"_I dunno, maybe Zonda had something to do with it using her Septima?" _Zeo guessed._ "Anyway, we're heading back to Gunvolt's hideout to plan our __reconnaissance on__ where Eden HQ is."_

"I see, though we did have a clue from one of the Eden Adepts. They're taking her to somewhere called, The Garden."

"_The Garden...? Could that also be Eden' HQ?" _Kanade asked.

"It's one of the possibilities at the moment." Serena replied. "Could you see if you can find any info about this Garden?"

"_Understood." _Gunvolt nodded._ "I'll go ask Xiao about it and see if he can find anything."_

"Alright then, contact us ASAP if you found anything."

"_Got it, over and out."_ And with that, the call ended.

"The Garden huh...? What could that place be anyway?" Geiz pondered.

"We'll eventually find some answers soon." Copen replied. "At least we know that the Eden Adept we defeated was just a fake created by Zonda's Septima. But for now, let's head back to the mansion."

"Understood, feel free to use my bike so we know where your mansion is. You do know how to ride this thing right?"

"It's just a bigger bike, it shouldn't be too hard for me to figure it out."

"Heh, whatever you say, Copen."

And with that, everyone went to the exit and out of the sewers.

* * *

**Later outside Gunvolt's apartment...**

After dropping off Zeno and Moniqa outside of QUILL HQ earlier, Gunvolt, Zi-O and Kanade are now right outside of Gunvolt's apartment. It may be small, but it's better than nothing.

"Well here we are guys, my apartment. It's may not be much, but it's home." Gunvolt said.

"Hmm, seems like a nice place to live in. Hope your friends don't mind about visitors." Kanade said.

"Don't worry about it, Kanade. Just leave the rest to me."

"Still, thank you so much for helping us." Joule said and bowed as she appeared in idol form. "And sorry for dragging you both into this mess."

"It's alright though, Joule. We'd rather help people instead of doing nothing." Zi-O replied.

"Hehe, that's good to know."

"Give us a moment to power down our armours first, GV. Don't want us to have a bad first impression."

In a few seconds, Zi-O and Kanade powered down their armors and back into their civilian forms.

"Huh, so this is what you both really look like without your armours huh?" Gunvolt asked.

"Yeah well, I may be new to this hero stuff, but I can still pull it off." Zeo replied. "Though Kanade is already a veteran fighter so she's got a lot of experience."

"I see, maybe someday I would like to spar with her."

"Heh, you're willing to try GV, and I will NOT hold back." Kanade smirked.

"Then we have a deal then. Alright everyone, we're going in."

"Ah, one more thing GV, please keep secret about our fight with the Another Riders." Zeo asked. "We don't want too many people to worry about them."

"Very well then, Zeo." Gunvolt nodded and then looked towards the apartment door. "Xiao, Quinn, it's me Gunvolt! And I brought along some new friends that can help us out!"

"Oh, ok then GV! Please come inside!" A female voice replied.

As they went inside the apartment and into the living room, they were greeted by two people. One is a teenage girl with dark green hair with two short pigtails bordering her face, and has light brown eyes. She wears a white shirt with a black tie, matching shorts, maroon tights and black boots. She also wears a pink sleeveless jacket with black highlights, golden accessories and a waist cape. That is Quinn Sakurazaki, and also one of the few people who is able to see Joule while most people can't.

The other is a young boy with green eyes and short blue hair with some lighter ends. He wears a green jacket with black and orange highlights with the sleeves rolled up, a black undershirt, pale green shorts, and thigh high black boots with gold highlights. He also wears three pairs of watches, one on his right wrist, and two on the left. That is Xiao Wu, Gunvolt's navigator.

"Ah welcome back, GV!" Quinn said as she noticed the newcomers. "And are those are your new friends?

"Yup, the name's Zeo Naotora." Zeo replied.

"And I'm Kanade Amou, it's a pleasure to meet you." Kanade added.

"A pleasure to meet you too, my name is Quinn Sakurazaki." Quinn then introduced herself with a bow. "I'm the caretaker of this apartment."

"And I'm Xiao Wu, a young Adept and former member of QUILL." Xiao added. "I'm also Gunvolt's navigator. Nice to meet you guys."

"Same here, Xiao." Zeo replied back.

"So GV, when did you meet those two anyway?"

"It was during our mission at the frozen city, I ran into some trouble and then they came by and helped us out." Gunvolt replied.

"Ah I see, thanks for the assist." Xiao said. "Though how do they do that? Are you guys also Adepts?

"Not quite, we were wearing special armours to fight back against Eden, and also that Ice Adept, Tenjian." Kanade corrected.

"Wow, you held your own against him?"

"Yup, with GV's help of course. And we managed to get the Shard too."

"Great work guys! Now we need to find the remaining Shards so you can get Joule's power back. I already know Copen has one of the Shards."

"Actually Xiao, Copen has four and a half Shards now, the same number GV has." Zeo corrected. "We ran into him too when me and Kanade first met Gunvolt."

"Oh my! GV, are you alright?" Quinn asked with worry.

"Don't worry, Quinn. I'm doing just fine." Gunvolt replied. "Though you can thank Kanade for finally snapping some sense into us before things go south."

"Heh, no problem, GV." Kanade said.

"You do realise you're still in trouble for that stunt you pulled earlier right, Kanade?" Zeo reminded.

"Oh come on! I was only trying to help!" Kanade defended. "And I don't want them to kill each other when the real enemy is right in front of them!"

"It's alright Zeo." Quinn said. "Kanade was only trying to do the right thing to stop them from fighting."

"See? Even she agrees with me!"

"Ok fine...I'll let this slide just once. Just don't do it again ok?" Zeo muttered.

"Anyway Xiao, I need you to do me a favour." Gunvolt asked.

"Sure thing GV, what's up?" Xiao replied.

"I want you to look in to some information about a place called, The Garden. It may be where Eden's HQ is."

"I see...The Garden huh? Though where did you get that clue from?"

"Our two other allies, Gaius and Serena, were fighting an Eden Adept in the sewers, then the Adept spilled some info about The Garden." Zeo explained to Xiao.

"Ah so that's how...Alright then, leave it to me." Xiao nodded. "I'll call you if I'm able to find something. In the meantime, make yourselves at home and get something to eat. You all must be starving after that mission."

And right on cue, Gunvolt, Zeo and Kanade's stomachs are growling loudly. The three heroes sweatdropped at the response.

"Wow, were we really that hungry all this time?" Kanade quipped.

"Eheh, guess all that fighting made us forget food for a while." Zeo admitted.

"It's alright, I'll go cook something delicious for you all to eat. Hope you like it!" Quinn said as she went into the kitchen.

"Thanks Quinn, now if you'll excuse me...I'm gonna go take a nap. Wake me up when the food's ready." Zeo then plopped to the nearest sofa and went to sleep, with a loud snore.

"Wow, after all that and he wants to sleep." Kanade sweatdropped. "Well can't blame him, he has been through quite a lot lately."

"Can't argue with that." Gunvolt added. "So what do you want to talk about while we wait?"

"Oh! How about we talk about the songs Kanade sang during her life?" Joule suggested. "I'm quite interested to see how you started."

"Sure, why not?" Kanade replied. "And I would like to hear your songs too, Joule. Though can we talk somewhere private? I wanna keep this a secret between us. Don't worry about Zeo, he already knows about my past."

"Very well then, I'll take you to my room. Will that work?" Gunvolt said.

"It will do, thanks GV. Hope you like long stories because my life is...not very pleasant to begin with."

* * *

**Meanwhile outside of the Kamizono Mansion...**

A few moments after leaving the sewers; Copen, Serena and Geiz are now outside the Kamizono Mansion, Copen's home. The mansion was quite big too.

"This is the place, welcome to my mansion." Copen said.

"Wow, your mansion looks fancy. I'm surprised it's still standing after all this time." Geiz whistled.

"It survived worse, Eden were only after Mytyl so hopefully they don't mess up the place. But if they do..."

"Please calm down, Copen." Serena said. "We will rescue her, we promised you that, remember?"

"...Yeah, you're right. Hopefully Nori is able to find something. You better power down your armors for now, I think a small break is in order."

"Very well then, Copen." Geiz agreed as he and Serena transformed back into their civilian forms.

"Hmm, now that I think about it, you both looked human without those armors." Copen stated.

"Was that supposed to be a compliment?" Gaius quipped.

"I was only thinking out loud, Gaius."

"Could you and Lola do us a favour and not tell Nori about the Another Riders?" Serena asked Copen.

"Is there a reason why, Serena?"

"Just being cautious, if too many people know about this, it might start a major panic even worse than Eden or Sumeragi."

"Hmm...good point there. Very well, your secret is safe with us." Copen nodded.

"Not to worry, Serena, Gaius, you can trust me and Boss on this!" Lola added.

"Thanks a lot, guys. Now let's go see Nori." Gaius said.

As they went inside the mansion and into the living room, they met a young woman with red eyes and short red hair. She wears a uniform vaguely similar to that of a French maid, white and black with dark magenta highlights, a green tie, and a maid headband, as well as red boots. That is Nori, Copen's navigator.

"Welcome back, Copen." Nori said as she then noticed the newcomers. "Oh? I never expected you to bring along some guests."

"They were able to bail me out of trouble during the frozen city and sewer missions." Copen replied.

"I understand, my name is Nori, the caretaker of this mansion and also Copen's navigator." Nori bowed to the newcomers. "May I please have your names?

"My name is Gaius Cornell." Gaius introduced himself.

"And I am Serena Cadenzavna Eve. It's a pleasure to meet you, Nori." Serena added and bowed to Nori.

"Good to meet you both, make yourselves at home but try not to make a mess." Nori said. "I'll prepare you some food and drinks as I do my work."

"Understood, thanks Nori." Gaius replied.

While Nori went to the kitchen to make some food and drinks, the heroes decided to look around Copen's mansion to pass the time.

"Your mansion interior looks beautiful, Copen." Serena said.

"It originally belonged to my father, Dr. Kamizono, until he was killed by an Adept." Copen explained. "Since then, I made a vow to destroy every single Adept that threatens mankind."

"I see, though to be fair Copen, shouldn't you focus on the one who murdered your father in the first place, instead of killing all Adepts?" Gaius asked.

"What makes you think I should follow that method, Gaius? You know how dangerous Adepts can be." Copen replied.

"True, but not all Adepts are like that. There are some that are still human on the inside. It's like you're taking away all of your compassion and replacing it with pure revenge."

"You don't get to decide what path I must take!" Copen exclaimed.

"...It was only a suggestion, but your path will not be a happy ending." Gaius stated. "In fact, let me tell you a story from another world, about an Ultimate Lifeform named Shadow the Hedgehog, created by the late Gerald Robotnik. It was the end result for Project Shadow. His purpose was to provide ways to develop a cure for an incurable deadly illness, more specifically for Gerald's granddaughter Maria Robotnik, but he was captured by G.U.N., a military organization, and Shadow was put into stasis when he was deemed as a threat to humanity. That, and G.U.N. killed Maria while she was protecting Shadow."

"WHAT?!" That shocked Copen, Serena and Lola. Why would the military do something like that?

"Yeah, tragic isn't it?" Gaius said. "Anyway, many years later Shadow was released by Gerald's descendant, Dr. Ivo Robotnik, AKA Dr. Eggman, enlisted him to join the cause for world domination."

"Pfffttt! What kind of nickname is Dr. Eggman anyway?" Lola chuckled.

"You can blame Sonic the Hedgehog for that, but that's a story for another time."

"Did Dr. Eggman know about what his grandfather did?" Copen asked.

"I think only on his achievements or something, not on Maria or her illness." Gaius guessed. "Anyway much later on, Shadow reveals he was carrying out Gerald's will and worked to destroy the planet and every human being living on it as revenge for Maria's death."

"What?! This...this isn't right! He was supposed to help people, not kill everyone!" Serena exclaimed.

"This is what revenge can do to a person...isn't that right, Copen?

"..." Copen was silent for a moment as he began thinking. Shadow wanted revenge on the humans for kidnapping his creator Gerald and killing Gerald's daughter, Maria. While Copen himself wanted revenge on the Adepts for killing his father. Was revenge really the only logical answer to solve all the problems?

"Boss...? You ok there?" Lola asked with worry.

"...keep going, the story is not over right?" Copen asked Gaius.

Gaius then continued the story. "Very well, anyway that's what Shadow was planning to do when he wakes up, however thanks to some convincing from Amy Rose, one of Sonic's allies, Shadow finally remembers what his true purpose is, it was Maria's last wish, 'To protect all of humankind, their hopes and their dreams'. With his true goal now known, Shadow fought alongside Sonic and were able to save the world from destruction, though unfortunately he sacrificed his own life to save everyone. All for Maria and her wish."

"Shadow..." Serena sadly whispered.

"So...that's the story of Shadow the Hedgehog, the Ultimate Lifeform?" Copen asked.

"Yes, he turned from a threat to humankind into a shining hope for humankind." Gaius answered. "Gunvolt's trying to find a way for humans and Adepts to live peacefully. But because of Sumeragi and Eden, the road to unity will be difficult. This is why we should stop those organizations first before the world will become even worse than before."

"But...what should I do? What should I really fight for?"

"The answer is simple, Copen, do the same thing Shadow fights for. Don't fight for revenge, instead fight for hope and for the future for humankind, and lead them to a peaceful path rather than blood and tears. If you wanna eliminate the Adepts, only focus on the ones harming innocent people instead, but never EVER forget about compassion. Besides, think about your sister, Mytyl. She does not want to see you walk the path as a demon, so instead, how about you walk the path of a Luminous Avenger?"

"Luminous...Avenger?" Copen repeated.

"It means an avenger who fights for humanity's hope and a guiding light to the future. It's a title I came up with anyway, WAY better than Adept Slayer."

"Well Boss...anything you'd like to say right now?" Lola asked Copen. He then pondered about what he should be really be doing. Will he continue his crusade to eliminate every single Adept? Or will he follow Gaius' advice and take a different path?

"...I'll think about it...after we stop Eden and save my sister." Copen answered.

"...Very well then, we can't let Eden do as they please." Serena said. "It could endanger us all."

"Everyone, your food is ready at the dining room." Nori said as she approached the heroes. "Thank you for your patience."

"Ah thanks Nori. We have not eaten in quite a while lately." Gaius replied.

"So, did you find anything about the Garden?" Copen asked Nori.

"Not yet at the moment, but it's a work in progress. I'll let you know if I find some info." Nori replied.

"Understood, keep on searching until you find something."

"It shall be done, Copen." Nori then bowed and went to the computer room to resume her info gathering.

"Your caretaker is very reliable, Copen." Serena asked.

"She's been serving me and Mytyl for quite a long time and a great help." Copen explained. "In the meantime, I would like to know more about your past Serena, Gaius."

"Of course, Copen." Serena said. "And Lola, I would also like to hear your songs too."

"Sure thing, Serena!" Lola happily replied.

"I don't see why not, but keep this a secret between us alright? That goes for you too, Lola." Gaius said.

"Hey! I can keep secrets! ...sometimes?"

"Spill too much and I may have to reformat your programming." Copen quipped.

"Oh god, no! Anything but that!"

"Good, we're in agreement then. I'll start off with my past first." Gaius declared as he began to talk about his past as they went to the dining room.

* * *

**A few hours later at Gunvolt's apartment...**

As Xiao was doing some info gathering about The Garden, he noticed something on the news that got him worried.

"Um, everyone? I've got some bad news..." Xiao said with worry.

"What's going on there, Xiao?" Kanade asked.

"You all might wanna look at this." Xiao then showed them the news on what's going on. Something happened to the Highway area as the roads were covered with small and large crystals.

"What the hell happened to the highway?!" Zeo exclaimed.

"It looks like the roads have been split by some kind of crystal." Gunvolt guessed. "Must've been someone's Septima, which could only mean one thing..."

"It's Eden isn't it? Damn it, there are innocents over there!" Kanade muttered.

"Yup, I can't think of anyone else causing trouble besides them." Xiao added.

"Well everyone, now that we got our rest period, it's time to move out and hunt them down." Zeo declared.

"Right, let's go!" Gunvolt nodded.

"Everyone, please be careful out there ok?" Quinn said with worry.

"Don't worry Quinn, I promise we'll be back soon." Gunvolt replied as he, Zeo and Kanade left the apartment and quickly headed towards the Highway area.

* * *

**At the same time at Copen's mansion...**

"Everyone, I found something!" Nori said while checking the PC.

"What is it, Nori?" Copen asked.

"I've detected some Septima readings around the highway area...wait...this is...?!"

Nori and Copen's eyes were wide open as they saw something familiar that happened before.

"Those crystals...I know that Septima power! That's from Ghauri! But I thought I destroyed him before!" Copen exclaimed.

"If Gibril can come back from the dead, then so can this guy." Gaius stated.

"Is it possible that all of the Eden Adepts you and Gunvolt defeated have been revived in the process?" Serena guessed.

"You're not wrong on that one, Serena."

"If we defeated them before, then we can definitely do it again. Everyone get ready, we're moving to the highway area!" Copen declared.

"Understood!" Gaius and Serena nodded as the three heroes began to depart for the highway area.

"Ah, one more thing before you leave, Copen." Nori asked before they leave.

"Hm? What is it Nori?" Copen said.

Nori then brought out a small box and opened it. It was a small necklace with a crimson crystal.

"This necklace, it's a gift from Mytyl for good luck."

"Wow, what a pretty crimson crystal..." Serena said.

"Indeed, I'll have to thank Mytyl later for this gift." Copen nodded as he began wearing the crimson necklace and hid it inside his armor. "Thanks again Nori, we'll be off now."

"Understood, please be careful everyone." Nori nodded as the three heroes left the mansion and quickly headed towards the Highway area.

* * *

**Highway Area**

As Copen, Serena and Geiz arrived at the Highway Area via Time Mazine a few minutes later, they were speeding straight ahead along the roads evading the small and large crystals along the way.

"Damn it, it looks worse than before." Copen muttered.

"I guess repair work is out of the question until we deal with Eden." Geiz added.

"Ah, I see them up ahead!" Serena pointed at something ahead as Geiz then stopped the Time Mazine and in front of the two figures. It was two more Eden Adepts.

One of them is a teenage boy with long and slightly lighter purple hair, and black eyes with purple irises. He is covered in black and white armour, with purple highlights, with large purple crystals sprouting from his knees. His feet also resemble high heels. That is Ghauri.

The other one is another teenage boy with bright orange hair and black eyes with orange irises. He wears black armour with gray and orange highlights, with a large piece of hat-like armour on his head. The armour on his upper body resembles the top half of a robe, and he wears a long loin cloth on his lower body. That is Asroc. Alongside him is a large and bulky robot, with black and orange colors. Its body is rather circular, its head ends in a large orange cone, and its fingers serve as cannons. That robot is called Galette Krone, and it seems to be holding a small capsule with a girl inside.

"Ghauri and...Asroc?! He's back too huh?" Copen said, until he noticed something on the capsule the robot is carrying that made his eyes wide open. "Wait, that capsule the robot puppet is carrying...that's Mytyl!"

"Well looks like luck is on our side this time! Let's hurry, we can still save her!" Geiz declared as the heroes got off the Time Mazine and prepared their battle stances against the Eden Adepts.

"Stop right there, Eden Adepts! And give back Mytyl at once!" Copen exclaimed while pointing his gun at the Eden Adepts.

"Hm? Oh it's him again...the one who stopped my plans back at the Old Waste-Processing Plant." Asroc muttered.

"Wow, you got killed by this guy before? Man, you've gotten sloppy or sore." Ghauri asked in rhyme.

"Shut your damn mouth, or I will shut it for you!"

"Okok, just chilling and no killing."

"Tell you what boys, if you don't release her at once, then we'll just have to take her back the hard way." Geiz said.

"You can forget it, you primitives! Eden has plans for this one!" Asroc exclaimed.

"She's not just some pawn for Eden to use and discard!" Serena exclaimed back.

"It upsets, but cool your jets before it leads to regrets! Sorry 'bout my wingman. He thinks he's the king, man." Ghauri said in rhyme. "But just so you understand, your girl is in good hands. Eden's all peace and love, and it fits like a glove! We're a dove from above or something similar thereof!"

"_Oh god his rhymes are annoying and bad! Now I know how Copen feels when he fought this guy before..."_ Geiz thought and groaned.

"Will you stop with the goddamn rhymes already!" Copen exclaimed in annoyance. "We're taking Mytyl back by whatever means necessary! Geiz, Serena, get ready to fight!"

"It's useless talking to these primitives. We're leaving." Asroc muttered as he jumped away along with his robot puppet carrying Mytyl.

"Damn it, they're escaping with her!" Copen cursed as the three heroes ran after Asroc, but was stopped by Ghauri in front of them.

"Running away? Then how's about we play?" Ghauri taunted in rhyme.

"_Then why don't you try playing with us instead!"_

That voice from behind the three heroes came from none other than Zi-O; as he, Kanade and Gunvolt jumped over them while riding on Zi-O's Time Mazine and landed in front of Ghauri.

"Zi-O, Kanade, Gunvolt! Boy, are we glad to see you guys!" Geiz exclaimed.

"One of the Eden Adepts just took Mytyl straight ahead!" Serena explained.

"I see..." Gunvolt muttered. "Copen, Geiz, Serena, you three go on ahead after them! We'll deal with this guy!"

"Are you sure about this?" Copen asked.

"Don't worry about us, we can handle it."

"...Alright, I never thought I'd say this to an Adept but...thanks Gunvolt, I owe you one." Copen said with a small smile. This is the first time he smiled at an Adept, and it's Gunvolt of all people. Maybe there is hope for both of them in the future.

"No problem, Copen." Gunvolt nodded with a small smile. "Now get going, you can still catch up if you hurry!"

"Right!" Copen nodded as he turned towards Geiz and Serena. "Geiz, Serena, back to the Time Mazine, we're going after them!"

"Roger that!" Geiz and Serena nodded as they and Copen got back onto Geiz's Time Mazine and ride off past Ghauri to chase after the fleeing Asroc.

"Sorry about that, buddy. But like I said earlier, you're playing with us instead." Zi-O said as he, Kanade and Gunvolt prepared their battle stances.

"All right, tight! I can work with this all night." Ghauri replied in rhyme. "Yer pals don't dig my moves, so it behooves that you improve."

"Well...Copen's kinda starting to become my pal...maybe." Gunvolt admitted. "Geiz and Serena are alright in my book. But you on the other hand, I definitely hate you a LOT more!"

"Where's the moves? Or the rhymes? Lacking both is a crime! So let's you and me dance until we have a chance to break the trance. By which I mean I'm gonna kick you in the pants!"

"The only pants that's gonna be kicked is yours!" Kanade responded, pointing her spear at Ghauri.

"How can you roll your soul with human trolls? If they had their way they'd bake Adepts like casseroles!"

"I've made choices. Hard ones, I'll admit it." Gunvolt admitted. "But I'm not about to let you decide my fate!"

"_Do you actually understand anything this guy says?"_ Xiao contacted via communicator.

"Sure! I mean... Well... Mostly. The rhyming doesn't help."

"_No shit, Sherlock..." _Zi-O and Kanade thought and deadpanned.

"Humans made the world hell, but Eden's pretty swell!" Ghauri said.

"It's you and your Eden assholes that made this world what it is! And a heaven open only to the few is no afterlife!" Zi-O replied.

"Heaven's for the best! Screw all the rest!"

"I didn't realize you'd dance at your own pity party." Gunvolt said, slowly shaking his head. "Eden hurts innocent people. It's wrong, and your rhymes are just cover for deceit and misery. Oversurge! Azure Striker! Let the clock strike twelve and mark this joker's fate!

"The future is ours to decide!" Zi-O declared.

"May my song guide you to your demise!" Kanade added as she began to sing one of her songs.

**(Plays BGM: Kimi to Iu Oto Kanade Tsukiru Made by Kanade Amou)**

Ghauri first performs a spin jump while creating crystal balls, and then launched them at the heroes. Zi-O and Kanade were able to dodge them, while Gunvolt blocked the shots using his Flashfield. Zi-O fired his shots using the Zikan Gilade Zyu Mode, but then Ghauri created a small prism to block his shots and then kicked the prism as it headed towards Zi-O. But then Kanade used her spear to knock back the prism using a baseball bat method, then the prism stuck Ghauri instead tumbling him a few steps back.

"Phew, nice save Kanade, thanks." Zi-O thanked Kanade.

"Anytime, Zi-O. My spear is not just for stabbing and slashing after all." Kanade replied.

After Ghauri stood up after that counter, he then created a big prism and launched it at Zi-O and Kanade. But then Gunvolt created a large electric sword and launched it as the sword destroyed the prism, and stuck Ghauri hard, sending him tumbling a few more steps back.

"Heh, you're not the only one who can do a trick like that, Kanade." Gunvolt quipped.

"Wow, you gotta teach me how to do that, GV." Kanade asked.

"Sorry but you're not the one with electrical powers. But kicking your spear might be a good alternative."

"Hmm...maybe I should try that sometime."

After Ghauri stood up again, he created another big prism, but this time he kicked it as it broke into smaller crystals and launched them towards the heroes. The heroes dodged the crystals, then countered with Zi-O performing a cross slash, Kanade with a spear thrust, and Gunvolt launching his Dragonsphere at Ghauri as it stuck and then exploded into a Crashbolt, sending Ghauri tumbling to the floor once more.

As Ghauri is slowing standing up after being countered, he muttered, "Well then...time for you all to have a nice fall!"

"**Prism Prisma Prison!"**

Ghauri jumped high and created three large prismatic pillars and dropped them onto the heroes to trap them. As they were trapped, the prisms fired lasers that refracted diagonally upwards and downwards.

"Tch! Everyone, aim for the weak spots on the crystals before they fire!" Zi-O suggested while dodging the lasers.

Kanade and Gunvolt nodded in response as they and Zi-O were able to quickly destroy the large prisms before they became a nuisance to them.

"Ah man! That was my jam!" Ghauri exclaimed.

"Then jam THIS into your rhyming skull!" Zi-O replied as he inserted the Kaixa Ridewatch into the Zikan Gilade and prepared his Finish Time as he pulled the trigger.

**FINISH TIME!**

**GIRI GIRI SLASH!**

As the Zikan Gilade was charged with yellow photon energy, Zi-O then unleashed a charged cross slash onto Ghauri, finishing off with an overhead slash that sent Ghauri staggering a few steps back as it also left Kaixa's symbol on him.

"Here's this too!" Kanade shouted as she launched a large shockwave as it stuck Ghauri, sending him staggering a few more steps back.

**POWER∞SHINE**

"And here's the finale!" Gunvolt declared as he created a large electric sword on his right hand.

"**Luxcalibur!"**

Gunvolt then quickly rushed towards Ghauri and stuck him with an overhead slash, and finishing him off with a strong side slash. That final slash sent Ghauri tumbling hard and to the ground.

"Ugh...no rhyme this time..." are the last words Ghauri muttered as he was turned into a pink mirror, and then it cracked itself to pieces leaving no trace of him left.

**(BGM End)**

"Phew! Thank god it's over...I'm really getting annoyed by his rhymes..." Kanade sighed with relief.

"Trust us, Kanade. We ALL do..." Gunvolt deadpanned.

"You guys think Copen and the others will be able to save Mytyl?" Zi-O asked.

"I'm sure they'll be fine, Zi-O. If we're lucky, they might find the Garden along the way." Gunvolt replied.

"Let's all hope so, GV."

"_I still can't believe you and Copen managed to make a truce and not kill each other."_ Xiao contacted.

"Yeah, well you can thank Zeo, Geiz, Kanade and Serena for that. They owe us big time." Gunvolt admitted.

"_Heh, if you say so. Anyway how about you all head on back for now? I've got some new intel from one of my clients."_

"Understood, Xiao." Gunvolt ended the call and turned towards Zi-O and Kanade. "Come on everyone, we're heading back."

The three heroes then went back onto the Time Mazine and rode off back to Gunvolt's apartment.

* * *

**Meanwhile back at Gunvolt's apartment...**

"Ah, welcome back everyone! You too, Joule! I'm glad you're all back in one piece." Quinn said as the three heroes arrived.

"Thanks Quinn, it's good to see you again." Joule replied, appearing in her idol form.

"It is? Oh I mean...thanks?"

"Oooo-kay?"

"Well...this is awkward..." Kanade whispered to Gunvolt.

"Agreed, Joule usually isn't this nice to Quinn." Gunvolt replied.

"I guess something happened along the way. Probably for the best too." Zeo added.

"O-oh! Sorry, never mind! Anyway it's good to see you all back safely." Quinn said.

"Heh, it will take more than that to stop us." Zeo smirked.

"Alright everyone, I found out what the Garden is." Xiao reported. "And it looks like your guesses are correct, it IS Eden's Fortress HQ. And thanks to that intel earlier, I found its location. It's in the country city of Tashkent, somewhere in central Asia. A lot of Eden soldiers and agents are waiting there, including their leader Zonda and her revived Seven Eden Adepts. And there's no doubt that the last Shard is there too."

"I see...so this is it huh?" Gunvolt muttered.

"Yup, we're about to reach our final battle with Eden." Zeo nodded.

"Wow, final battle already huh? Hope we're ready for this." Kanade said.

"We have to, Kanade, or this world is doomed." Zeo replied.

"Yeah, I really wanna see Tsubasa again. So I better get serious and finish off Eden for good and move on."

"Tsubasa? Is she a friend of yours?" Quinn asked.

"Yup, me and her became a singing duo called Zwei Wing in the past."

"Wow, that's amazing! I would love to see you both sing someday."

"Hm...I'll think about it AFTER we take down Eden."

"Heh, front row seats if possible?" Gunvolt quipped.

"Don't push it, GV. Also I don't wanna make Joule jealous." Kanade replied with a small grin.

"She's rig-hey! What's that supposed to mean?!" Joule exclaimed.

"Hm? Hold on, I got a message from my client." Xiao then read the message. "She says she also wants to rendezvous with us at a hill, a few kilometres outside of Eden's HQ. Well that was unexpected..."

"Well, you're telling us, Xiao. Expect the unexpected." Zeo replied and then thought about something. _"And I DEFINITELY did not recall this extra event...could this be because of the four of us that this Butterfly Effect is happening? I really hope nothing unexpected happens...though it probably will either way."_

"Well then, let's go meet up with them, shall we? We'll be back soon, Quinn." Gunvolt said.

"I understand, but before you go, there's something I wanna give you, GV." Quinn said as she then brought out a small box and opened it. It was a small necklace with an azure crystal.

"Hm? Is that a necklace with an azure crystal on it?" Gunvolt asked.

"Yup, call it a good luck charm for you and Joule during your final battle." Quinn nodded.

"Aww...how sweet of you!" Joule smiled.

"I appreciate it, thanks Quinn." Gunvolt said as he began wearing the azure necklace and hid it inside his suit.

"It's the least I can do for you." Quinn replied and then turned towards Joule. "And Joule, please take care of GV, no matter what."

"You know it, sister! Leave it to me!"

Quinn nodded and then turned towards Zeo and Kanade. "That goes for you too, Zeo, Kanade. Please take care of them for me, ok?"

"Quinn, don't worry. We will be with them till the end." Zeo nodded.

"When we get back, I would love to try some your food again!" Kanade grinned.

"Hehe! Then it's a deal then!" Quinn replied.

"Well then everyone, it's time to move out. Our final battle awaits." Gunvolt declared as he, Xiao, Zeo and Kanade proceeded to leave the apartment and head towards Eden HQ; The Garden. As they left, Quinn closed her eyes and prayed for their safety as she said something in her thoughts.

"_Please...stay safe everyone..."_

* * *

_And so the final battle against Eden has arrived. Will they be able to stop them or will Eden be the ones victorious? And what about the distortion they have yet to find? Perhaps all the answers lie within The Garden. But for now as always...Only time will tell..._

**Chapter 2: Forfeit and Crossroads**

**END**

* * *

**Author's Note: If you're wondering what those Azure and Crimson Necklaces would do, well you'll have to wait and see as we go along with the story. Until then, stay safe!**


	3. Chapter 3: Infiltrating Eden

**Azure and Crimson**

**Chapter 3: Infiltrating Eden**

* * *

**Eden Fortress HQ, The Garden**

**Tashkent, Central Asia**

The Garden, Eden's Fortress HQ, a large fortress that contains every single Eden soldier, drones, mechs and battleships that is enough to start a war. All for their loyalty to the leader of Eden, Zonda, along with her revived Seven Eden Adept generals with the power of her Mirror Septima. Not only does she have the final Septima Shard, but also captured Mytyl to use her for Zonda's plan to eliminate all humankind, leaving only Adepts to rule the world as their paradise.

* * *

**A few hours earlier...**

Copen, Geiz and Serena were riding fast on Geiz's Time Mazine to track down one of the revived Seven, Asroc, along with his robot as they captured Mytyl in a capsule and were en route to The Garden via battleship located in the forest area. Copen's team were close to catching up to Asroc, but he suddenly called in a giant flying green mech with machine guns and missile pods as a distraction. Copen fought one of these mechs before, so this shouldn't be a problem. With help from Geiz and Serena, Copen was able to destroy the mech as its weapons and armor were no match for the heroes. Unfortunately after the fight, Asroc was long gone along with the battleship. Copen was pissed that he punched a nearby tree, as they were able to kidnap Mytyl again, while Geiz and Serena were a bit upset upon this failure. Fortunately, Copen's navigator, Nori, contacted Copen that she was able to find the location of The Garden, in a country of Tashkent, located in Central Asia. That could be where Mytyl is taken, along with Zonda and her revived Seven, and also the final Septima Shard. With this new info, Copen's team quickly went back to the Time Mazine and rode off to Central Asia, as Nori is also on her way to the same location to meet up with them using Copen's motorcycle. Then Copen asked Nori to do a small favor to send a message to Gunvolt's team on the location of The Garden and to meet up with them. Usually he will go solo for his missions, but this time is an exception as it's also a way to return the favor since Gunvolt's team helped them for distracting Ghauri back at the Highway so that Copen's team can chase down Asroc. Copen will need all the help he can get if he wants to save Mytyl and bring down Eden once and for all.

* * *

**Present Time...**

At a large hill, a few kilometres away from The Garden, Nori was busy preparing her navigation systems using her laptop, while Copen who was standing up, was looking through his binoculars to scope around The Garden from a distance in order to find a secret entrance so that they won't have to deal with an entire battalion of Eden troops. Serena and Geiz, the latter took off his helmet for a while to get some air, sat on some rocks and looked at The Garden from a distance. Eden HQ defences were impenetrable as the base also has artillery, anti-air and ground turrets to eliminate any intruders from entering the base.

"Damn, even without the binoculars, seeing those defences can make an old prison look like a nursery." Geiz muttered as he was still looking at The Garden.

"You're right, Gaius." Serena nodded. "Not to mention lots of Eden troops patrolling both outside and inside the fortress."

"Obviously a frontal assault will result in all of us being destroyed in an instant." Copen added as he was looking through his binoculars. "We're gonna need to find a secret entrance if we're going inside undetected."

"And that is why you have me and Nori around, Boss!" Lola said while floating next to Copen. "She just finished setting up communications, now all we have to do is wait while me and Nori do what we can to find the ins and outs of the fortress."

Copen nodded in response. "Alright then, Lola. I'll leave the rest to you and Nori."

"Got it, Boss! Oh btw, there's one other thing I gotta ask."

"And that is?"

"Why did you tell Nori to send a message to Gunvolt's team for a meet up?"

"Because I owe Gunvolt and his team a favor for helping me out back in the Highway."

"Is it also because of that story I told you back at the mansion, Copen?" Geiz said.

"That's...one way of putting it, Gaius." Copen answered. "That, and we're gonna need all the help we can get to take down Eden for good."

"Yeah, I can agree with that."

"Though Serena, are you sure you want to do this?" Copen asked. "I don't want your sister Maria to know about what happened to you if we fail. Besides, you're younger than all of us." Copen remembered about Serena's past during their conversation back at Copen's mansion, including her sister, Maria Cadenzavna Eve.

"Please don't worry about me, Copen. I'll be just fine." Serena replied. "Besides, if my sister Maria is still as strong and determined as I remember, then so will I. I don't want to let my big sister down, so I will continue on fighting till the end."

"Serena..."

"Man, Maria's gonna be really proud of you when both you and her were able to meet again someday." Geiz said to Serena.

"Hehe, thank you Gaius." Serena smiled.

"Hmm...I wonder if Mytyl were like you someday Serena when she grows up? That'd be pretty cool."

"Oi, don't push it, Gaius." Copen retorted.

"Relax...I'm joking, Copen."

Serena then laughed at Geiz and Copen. "Hahaha! You know, I think you both are starting to become my big brothers right now."

"Wait, what did you say Serena?" Geiz and Copen said simultaneously. Though it does look like they were taking care of Serena just like older brothers.

After a while, Lola came floating towards the heroes and said, "Hey guys, I think I saw something pink coming this way!" Everyone look towards the glowing headlights approaching them and Nori.

"Ah, looks like Gunvolt's team has arrived. Time to meet them shall we?" Geiz said as he put his helmet back on.

Copen and Serena nodded in response as they all stood up and walked towards Gunvolt's team, as Gunvolt, Xiao, Kanade and Zi-O had just arrived and got off the Time Mazine to exchange greetings.

"Gunvolt, Kanade, Zeo." Copen greeted.

"Copen, Serena, Gaius." Gunvolt returned the greeting.

"So, I guess you weren't able to save Mytyl?" Gunvolt asked.

Copen shook his head and replied, "Asroc sent a flying mech on us as a distraction. By the time we destroyed it, he's already long gone."

"Gacking damn it, sorry about what happened."

"It's alright Gunvolt, we might still have a chance to save her." Copen then noticed Xiao and asked, "And you must be..."

"Oh, I'm Xiao Wu, Gunvolt's navigator." Xiao introduced himself. "Is Nori with you now?"

Nori then walked towards the heroes and then noticed Xiao. "Ah you made it, Xiao. Glad to see you here."

"Likewise, Nori." Xiao replied as he did a handshake with Nori.

"So, this is your client, Xiao?" Kanade asked as Xiao nodded in response.

"Yup, that's right."

"Greetings, my name is Nori, I'm Xiao's client and also Copen's navigator. Nice to meet you." Nori introduced with a bow.

"Likewise, Nori. I'm Zeo Naotora." Zi-O nodded and introduced himself.

"Kanade Amou, good to meet you too." Kanade added.

"Did you bring your laptop with you, Xiao?" Nori asked.

"Yup, got it right here." Xiao replied as he took out his laptop from his bag.

"Good, then let's begin hacking The Garden." Nori said as she went back to her laptop to resume hacking.

"You got it. I'll catch you guys later ok?" Xiao said as he left to join Nori with hacking The Garden.

"Huh, I never expected that your navigator would be Xiao's client, Copen." Gunvolt said.

"Yeah, Nori never told me about it either." Copen admitted.

"So, where's the Garden at?" Zi-O asked.

"Right this way, everyone." Geiz replied as he led everyone to the top of the hill to see the distant view of Eden's Fortress HQ. Everyone also sat down onto some rocks as they looked at the view while Zi-O and Geiz took off their helmets for some air. Gunvolt, Kanade and Zi-O frowned at the heavily defended fortress, this mission will not be easy.

"Well...that looks bad." Kanade muttered from seeing the fortress.

"I agree, Kanade." Zi-O nodded. "Those defences are well built. And it's not just the outside we have to worry about, it's the inside as well."

"I guess the only way to get inside is to sneak our way in." Gunvolt said.

"Yeah, but for now I think it's time we all get to know each other a little more." Zi-O said.

"Usually I don't agree to discussions like this, but I'll make this an exception since you helped me and Gunvolt." Copen stated.

"I'm with Copen on this discussion, and thanks for helping us, you four." Gunvolt added.

"No problem, Gunvolt, Copen. We're just dimension travelling heroes passing through, remember that." Zi-O smiled.

"It's not just them you're helping, Zeo." Joule said as she appeared in her Muse form. "You're also helping me and Lola."

"Yup, that's right!" Lola added as she floated towards the heroes and appeared in her Muse form. Lola then took a quick look at Joule and asked, "Though Joule, when did you look a bit younger? Copen told me you look older than that."

"You can blame Eden for taking away the Septima Shards in the first place." Joule sighed. Then Joule took a quick look at Lola's Muse form and said, "And as for you, Lola, you better take good care of my power. I don't want them to be used in the wrong hands."

"Nah, don't worry. Me and Copen will be just fine."

"I really hope so..."

Then Lola thought of an interesting idea, "Hey! Maybe we can be an idol duo together! I bet we could get lots of fans for doing so!"

"Eh?!" Joule was surprised at Lola's idea. "Um...well...this is so sudden..."

"It'll be fun, trust me!"

"Lola, don't even think this will be a good idea." Copen sighed.

"But, Boss..."

"Sorry Lola, but Copen is right." Gunvolt said.

Lola sighed with her arms crossed and said, "Ok fine, but someday you guys will change your mind about this. Just you wait."

"Still...that would be interesting to see." Kanade quipped. "I mean Zwei Wing could use a little bit of competition."

"Zwei Wing?" Copen and Lola repeated.

"Ah, that's right." Joule remembered about Kanade's past life."Kanade and her partner Tsubasa were both a singing duo called, Zwei Wing."

"Really? That's so cool, Kanade! I would love to hear you and Tsubasa sing together!" Lola said.

"Maybe...though because of that incident at the concert, I'm not entirely sure." Kanade felt sad about remembering that part of her past. Gunvolt and Joule also felt her sadness since they both knew about Kanade's past back at Gunvolt's apartment when she told them.

"Yeah...the Noise, right?" Gunvolt muttered as Kanade nodded in response about the ones responsible for that concert incident.

"Just what are the Noise anyway?" Copen asked.

"Basically unidentified lifeforms that wants to destroy the human race." Serena answered. "To be honest, me and Kanade don't know where they came from."

"So, they are kinda like aliens?" Lola guessed.

"Hmm...I think that's one way of describing them."

"Yeah, and you both sacrificed your lives to save the ones your care about, right Serena, Kanade?" Zi-O added.

"Wait, both of you did the same thing?!" Gunvolt, Copen, Joule and Lola were shocked at what Kanade and Serena did as Kanade and Serena sadly nodded in response.

"Yeah, we had to sing a Swan Song as a last resort." Kanade replied.

"What is a Swan Song?" Lola asked.

"It's a song sung by a Symphogear user that utilizes the full power of the armor, but it would greatly damage the user depending on the compatibility." Kanade explained. "In my case, my compatibility was low and...I died after singing that song."

"And for me, I sang the song incorrectly and was eventually crushed by falling rocks while I was trying to save my sister Maria..." Serena added.

Everyone, minus Zi-O and Geiz as their heads were low hiding their eyes, were speechless after what happened to Kanade and Serena. One had low compatibility, while the other sang the song incorrectly.

"Then...why are you both still alive? I'd thought you both would stay dead after what happened." Gunvolt asked.

"Yeah, that part...I'm not entirely sure either..." Kanade admitted.

"Neither do I." Serena added.

"Hmm..." Everyone looked at Geiz as he pondered about a theory and said, "Could the Dimensional Quakes be responsible for their revival?"

"Now that I think about it, Einstein did say something about the quakes bringing people back from the dead." Zi-O added.

"Wait, Einstein? As in THE Albert Einstein?!" Copen exclaimed with his eyes wide open.

"Oh yeah, Einstein was one of our allies in our fight against the Neo Time Jackers. And before you say anything Copen...no. Our Einstein is from another dimension...and also a female." Zi-O explained.

"Hah?!"

"That's gotta be a gacking joke...right?" Gunvolt said.

"No, and we still can't believe it either..." Zi-O, Geiz, Kanade and Serena sighed simultaneously.

"...the multiverse is weird."

"Yup."

"Either way, Kanade, Serena, you both now have a second chance in life. Make good use of it, ok?" Copen asked as the girls nodded in response.

"Don't worry, Copen, we promise we won't make that same mistake again." Kanade replied.

"Good to know."

After a few moments of chatting from the heroes by sharing their stories, Xiao walked towards the heroes and said, "Sorry to keep you waiting, everyone. It's finally time to begin the mission."

"Alright everyone, break time's over. It's mission time." Zi-O declared as everyone nodded in response. Zi-O and Geiz put their helmets back on, Joule and Lola went back to their normal forms, and then everyone stood up and walked towards Nori as she was typing with her laptop.

"Everyone, sorry to keep you waiting, but me and Xiao were able to find the secret entrance to The Garden." Nori reported.

"Alright then, Nori. So where is it?" Copen asked.

"It should be right...here." Nori then typed a few buttons and then pointed to the blinking location on the laptop screen.

The heroes took a closer look at the laptop screen as the secret entrance is shown to be located underground, just a few metres from their current position.

"From the looks of it, there's not much Eden troops guarding the entrance, so you can easily take out the guards and enter the secret entrance with no trouble at all." Xiao explained. "But still, be on your guard, especially when you reach the inside of the fortress."

"Understood, Xiao." Gunvolt nodded.

"Me and Xiao will keep contact as you all infiltrate the fortress. Do not engage the enemy unless necessary." Nori advised. "Though as you go deeper into the fortress, communication will be difficult until it's cut off completely, so you'll have to navigate the fortress without our help."

"Got it, Nori. We'll keep that in mind." Copen nodded.

"Alright then, is there any other questions you all would like to ask?" Xiao asked. After a few seconds of silence, the heroes shook their heads with nothing to add as they are ready to begin the mission.

"Understood, anyone wish to say any last words before we begin the mission?" Nori asked.

"Just me, Nori." Zi-O smirked from inside his helmet, punched his hand on his open palm and said, "Let's Ragna-Rock and Roll!"

* * *

**The Secret Entrance...**

A few moments later, the heroes, minus Xiao and Nori, are hiding behind some large rocks as they arrived at the secret entrance, guarded by two Eden soldiers, two flying drones and a mech with a chainsaw and blaster.

"Hmm...it looks like the guards here should be easy pickings to take them down. Though we better do this in one shot so they won't be able to call in reinforcements." Geiz advised as he peeked from behind the large rock.

"Anyone have any strong Area Of Effect attacks to use?" Zi-O asked.

"I can use my **Voltaic Chains** to take them all out, but it uses quite a lot of energy and will take time to recharge after that." Gunvolt replied.

"My **Shred Storm** can eliminate them all in blinding speeds." Copen added.

"My **STARDUST∞FOTON** can deliver raining spears on all of them." Kanade also added.

"I think my **IGNIS†FATUUS** can work too, it will rain down light arrows from above and strike them all down. However, I might get tired after using that." Serena also added.

"I see, so to summarize: Copen and Kanade can take them all down quickly with not much energy needed." Geiz stated.

"So, should one of us go first and use the AOE attack on them?" Copen asked.

"Better idea, both of you use your attacks simultaneously. Because if it's worth doing, it's worth overdoing." Zi-O suggested.

"And just like that, I'm liking your idea a lot." Kanade grinned.

"Fine, as long as it gets the job done quickly." Copen sighed and then looked towards Kanade. "Just try not to make too much noise, Kanade."

"Okok, I get it."

Copen and Kanade then took their positions and began preparing their attack. The Eden guards and then mech are busy looking around while staying at their posts, until they were met by Copen's **Shred Storm** and Kanade's **STARDUST∞FOTON** from above. They were being bombarded by fast attack bits and raining spears until all the guards are eliminated, leaving nothing but scrap metal. Copen and Kanade landed in front of the secret entrance and signalled the other heroes to come out as the area is clear.

"Nicely done, you two." Zi-O complimented. "Now to pry open that door."

"Leave that to me, everyone!" Lola replied as she floated towards the door lock and hacked the system for a few seconds until the door slowly opened. "And there you have it! One secret shortcut to The Garden."

"Good job, Lola. Now let's move." Copen said, as he and the rest of the heroes quickly ran inside the secret entrance as it led them to a very long tunnel.

"Xiao, Nori, we're inside the secret tunnel leading towards The Garden." Gunvolt contacted the navigators. "Did you notice any unexpected surprises in there?"

"_So far, me and Nori have nothing to report. But once you all arrive inside The Garden, expect plenty of traps and ambushes from Eden." _Xiao reported.

"Got it, we'll be careful."

"_We don't have any data on what's inside The Garden so you'll have to go in there blindly."_ Nori reported.

"Understood, Nori." Copen replied as the call ended.

After a few minutes of running through the secret tunnel, with no Eden troops in sight thankfully along the way, they made it to the underside of The Garden.

"Ok everyone, we made it to The Garden. Be ready for anything." Copen advised as everyone nodded in response.

"Yeah, the real battle is about to begin." Gunvolt added.

* * *

**Inside Eden Fortress HQ, The Garden**

"So this is The Garden, huh? I was kinda expecting an area full of flowers and not a heavily defended fortress." Kanade quipped as the heroes are running across the hallway.

"This place is not full of sunshines and rainbows, Kanade. Eden would rather destroy humankind instead of planting flowers." Zi-O stated.

"Now that I think about it, this place is scary. I'm starting to feel nervous." Serena said.

"Just stick together with us and you'll be fine, Serena." Geiz replied.

"You're right, thank you Geiz." Serena smiled, until she noticed something going down. "Ah! The shutters are descending!"

"Everyone dash through them quickly before they close! But if they do just in case, destroy them anyway, those shutters are easy to break!" Copen advised as everyone quickly dashed through most of the shutters before they close, and they also destroyed the last shutter that's already closed.

"Phew, that was close. Let's keep moving!" Zi-O said as everyone continues to run deeper inside the fortress.

After a while for the heroes, including taking out some Eden troops and drones, they entered an empty room with a door on the other side. As they are about to approach the door, it and the entrance locked itself as multiple Eden troops and mechs appeared around the heroes, surrounding them.

"Damn it, it's a trap!" Geiz growled at the ambush.

"We do all for the sake of the oracle, Zonda! Now behold as we stride down the path of paradise and despair!" An Eden soldier declared as everyone pointed their weapons at the heroes.

"Sorry boys, but..." Zi-O began as he and the other heroes brandished their weapons. "...the only path you'll be striding down is the floor!" The heroes then rushed to their separate paths spreading out and fought against the ambushing Eden troops. After a few moments of shooting, slashing, lasers and some lightning, the ambush is quickly eliminated as the door opened in front of them.

"Well, that takes care of the ambush." Kanade said while shouldering her spear. "Though why do I get the feeling that this is not the only ambush we'll be running into?"

"The sad part is, you're correct, Kanade." Geiz sighed in response as the heroes resumed running towards the next area. This won't be the only ambush room the heroes will encounter.

As they are running along inside the fortress looking for Mytyl, they came across several areas with conveyor belts, bottomless pits and lots of spikes on the walls and the floor. And not to mention more Eden troops and more of their ambush. Eden really knows how to make a fortress this intimidating. Even Gunvolt and Copen are annoyed at the amount of traps Eden had set up. Luckily the heroes managed to get past the traps and took out the Eden troops along the way, though by the end of the mission, they don't EVER want to see an area full of spikes again for a few weeks.

* * *

**Meanwhile at The Garden Throne Room...**

Two figures are now watching the large monitor as the security cameras showed the heroes infiltrate the fortress and taking out more Eden troops. One of figures watching is a revived Tenjian. While the other is a young girl with long, cream white hair with pink highlights with curls and dark pink eyes, wearing a smart, sleeveless black and white double breasted dress with magenta tights and black shoes with gold buckles and also has a black bow tied around her head. That person is none other than Zonda, former member of Sumeragi, and the leader of Eden.

"It seems the intruders have come, Oracle." Tenjian reported.

"I see, though I never expected the intruders to be that much." Zonda replied. "Either way, we must reclaim the Shards that were stolen. For us, and for the comrades who fell by their hands."

"There's no need to dirty your hands. A hired mercenary is sent to go after them."

"I see, though is it alright to trust 'him'?"

"As long as our paradise is achieved, it matters not."

"I hope you are correct. But if 'he' posed a threat to us, we shall eliminate 'him' as well. I just hope there's no more unnecessary sacrifices for our people."

* * *

**Meanwhile back to the heroes...**

After much running through some areas, they finally arrived at the elevator that is located just beyond the last room of the area.

"There it is! The elevator to the next floor of the fortress!" Serena pointed at the elevator across the room.

"Alright everyone, just a bit further until we can finally get some breathing room!" Zi-O exclaimed as everyone quickly ran towards the elevator. Unfortunately they were halted by a hooded mysterious figure as he dropped down from above and landed in front of the heroes.

"Sorry, but this is as far as you'll go." said the mysterious figure with a male voice.

"Who are you supposed to be? Are you with Eden?" Copen asked as he and Gunvolt pointed their guns at the mystery man.

"I'm just a hired mercenary here to cause trouble, especially for Kamen Rider Zi-O and Geiz." replied the mystery man. Everyone's eyes were wide open, especially Zi-O and Geiz from inside their helmets, as that mystery man somehow knew about the Kamen Riders.

"What the, you knew about us?!" Geiz exclaimed.

"But how did you..." Zi-O began until he realised something. The only way that mystery man knew about the Kamen Riders was one important thing. "...You're with the Neo Time Jackers...aren't you?"

Everyone was shocked at Zi-O's answer as they mystery man chuckled and clapped his hands three times and said, "Well well well, you managed to figure it out so soon? I'm impressed."

"So you really are one of them. I take it that Eden hired you for something?" Geiz asked.

"I only listened to their demands as they will give me something in return."

"Sorry Neo Time Jacker, but your reward is gonna be put on hold, permanently." Kanade declared as everyone prepared their battle stances.

"Actually my reward will come soon. That, and you're not fighting me." said the Neo Time Jacker snapped his fingers as he created a Time Veil in front of him and out appeared a large grey rhino with large fists as it roared towards the heroes. That monster was a Rhino Orphnoch. "THIS is who you're fighting with. Don't worry though, I'll get a chance to fight you all personally someday. But until then, Ciao!" The Neo Time Jacker walked backwards towards the Time Veil while waving goodbye and disappeared. The heroes then looked towards the Rhino Orphnoch as it growled towards them.

"Damn it...of all the things he summoned, it had to be a large Orphnoch?!" Geiz exclaimed.

"Well considering that we fought Another Faiz and Kaixa before, I think this is starting to become a coincidence!" Zi-O stated.

"What the gacking hell is an Orphnoch?!" Gunvolt asked.

"Basically the next stage of human evolution." Zi-O explained. "In order to become an Orphnoch, one must die."

"WHAT?!" Everyone exclaimed, minus Zi-O and Geiz.

"So you're saying that...these Orphnochs were once human?!" Copen asked as Zi-O and Geiz nodded in response.

"Is there a way to save it somehow?" Serena asked.

"I'm sorry, Serena. It's far too late." Geiz slowly shook his head.

"I see, then the least we could do now is to put an end to its pain and suffering." Gunvolt said.

"Damn it...I guess we have no other choice..." Kanade muttered as everyone prepared to fight the Rhino Orphnoch.

"Zi-O, Armor Time." Geiz suggested as Zi-O nodded in response.

Zi-O and Geiz took out the Faiz and Kaixa Ridewatches located at the Ridewatch holders on their wrists, turned the dial and pressed the button.

**FAIZ!**

**KAIXA!**

The Riders then inserted the Ridewatches on their belts, pressed the tilt button on their belts and turned it 360.

**ARMOR TIME!**

**COMPLETE! FAIZ!**

**COMPLETE! KAIXA!**

After a while, Geiz and Zi-O transformed into their respective armor forms. Faiz for Geiz and Kaixa for Zi-O.

"Wow, looking good, guys. Loved the lights too." Kanade whistled at the Riders' armor forms.

"Though why are there cellphones on their shoulder pads?" Serena asked.

"Well Faiz and Kaixa did use plenty of features with their phones, both on offence and defence." Zi-O explained.

"Heh, you Kamen Riders never cease to amaze us." Gunvolt smirked.

"Would be nice to study about them if there's time." Copen added.

"If you're going to study them for the right reasons, then I'll think about it." Geiz replied as everyone turned towards the Rhino Orphnoch with their battle stances ready. "But for now, it's time to bring down this overgrown rhino."

"Oversurge, Azure Striker! Let lightning free its pain and suffering!" Gunvolt declared as everyone began their attack and rushed towards the Orphnoch.

The Rhino Orphnoch began charging at the heroes head first, the heroes dodged the charge attack in response. It stopped charging, turned around and unleashed a strong quake as the attack approached the heroes, they evaded the attack in response by jumping.

Kanade unleashed her **STARDUST∞FOTON** with raining spears while Serena unleashed her **GNOME†TRIAL **by throwing her knife as both attacks struck the Orphnoch from above, but it blocked the attacks with its arms.

"Tch! This guy is tough!" Kanade exclaimed as the attacks didn't even faze it.

"Gunvolt, let's try tagging it first, then hit it hard!" Copen suggested as Gunvolt nodded in response.

Gunvolt then fired his gun as the bullets tagged the Orphnoch while Copen did a Bullit Dash onto the target as it was then tagged. Then Gunvolt unleashed his Flashfield as he also fired more shots onto the target, while Copen fired his gun as he unleashed one of his EX Weapons from the Adepts he defeated, The **Hailstorm Blade** from the defeated Tenjian. The **Hailstorm Blade** created ice swords from the attack bits and unleashed slash waves onto the target. Both attacks from Gunvolt and Copen were able to do some damage to the Orphnoch, until it began to throw a powerful right punch at Copen. Fortunately he was able to evade the attack by boost dashing back and landing next to Gunvolt.

"Ok, that was way too close." Copen admitted as he began to sweat a bit.

"Yeah, even with our Prevasion, that punch will hurt a lot." Gunvolt added.

**READY!**

**SHOT ON!**

Zi-O and Geiz equipped their knuckle-dusters and rushed towards the Rhino Orphnoch. Zi-O and Geiz began to punch the Orphnoch, while it responded by punching back with both his fists as they collided with each other as it left a large shockwave that pushed the other heroes back. Unfortunately the Orphnoch's punches were too strong as it pushed both Zi-O and Geiz flying back and they rolled and tumbled a few steps on the floor. Then the Rhino Orphnoch roared loudly once more.

"Ugh...this is not going the way we hoped..." Geiz muttered as he and Zi-O slowly stood up after that attack.

The other heroes quickly regrouped as Serena said, "I think we're going to need a new plan, brute force won't do any good."

"I think we're gonna need to use our heads for this one." Lola added.

"Use our heads..." Zi-O repeated, until he had an idea. "That's it! I think I got the winning formula!"

"It'd better be a good one, or we're finished!" Kanade said.

"Trust me, I've got this." Zi-O then quickly rushed towards the Orphnoch with a plan on his mind.

"Hey! Where are you going?!" Copen exclaimed as Zi-O ran off.

Zi-O then stopped in front the Orphnoch and yelled, "Hey, horn for brains! Aren't you a bit slow for a rhino? You're so slow that a snail can beat you in a race!" The Orphnoch was pissed off at his remark as he roared in anger and quickly give chase to Zi-O.

"Wait, is he trying to anger that rhino on purpose?" Joule questioned Zi-O's plan.

"Should we step in and help?" Gunvolt asked.

"I think we should wait a bit longer. Zi-O had a good reason for that, trust me." Geiz replied.

"_That's right, take the bait you idiot, because your punishment is just around the corner!"_ Zi-O thought while he was still being chased by the Orphnoch. As he was about to reach a dead end, he ran up the wall and did a backflip as the Orphnoch missed the target as it struck the wall instead head first. Zi-O landed behind the Orphnoch as it was now stuck on the wall.

"All right, Zi-O! Nicely done!" Kanade grinned at his successful plan.

"Gunvolt, Copen, will you two do the honors?" Serena asked as Gunvolt and Copen nodded in response.

Gunvolt unleashed his **Luxcalibur** while Copen unleashed another one of his EX Weapons, the **Twintail Bunker** which is actually two large hair drills created by the bits. They rushed towards the trapped Orphnoch, then both attacks struck the Orphnoch's back as it yelled in pain. They quickly jumped back next to Zi-O as the Orphnoch quickly tries to get its head off the wall.

"Good work, but I think we should run now." Zi-O said as he, Gunvolt and Copen quickly ran away from the Orphnoch as he finally got its head out and roared in anger. It then began chasing the attackers.

"Any other good ideas now, Zi-O?!" Gunvolt asked while still being chased.

"You can create chains right, GV?" Zi-O replied.

"Yeah, why? You got another idea?"

"Yup, I'll keep distracting the Orphnoch! Gunvolt, quickly regroup with Geiz, create a chain and then give it to him!"

"I see, you're gonna make that rhino trip!" Copen figured out Zi-O's next plan. "Let me help you with the distraction!"

Zi-O nodded in response and said, "Gunvolt, run the other way now! Me and Copen will continue taunting it!" While Zi-O and Copen are still running away from the Rhino Orphnoch, Gunvolt ran to another direction to avoid contact from the Orphnoch. Zi-O then fired a few headshots on the Orphnoch with his Faizphone X to taunt it even more while Copen supported Zi-O's taunt as he also fired headshots with his gun. Gunvolt then stopped a few metres away from Geiz.

"Geiz, catch!" Gunvolt said as he created a long chain and threw one end on the chain towards Geiz.

"Eh?" Geiz said as he then caught the chain.

"Wait for Zi-O and Copen to pass by us! After that, pull the chain hard! We're making this rhino trip!" Gunvolt advised.

"Ah, so that's why. Understood, GV!" Geiz nodded as he understood what Gunvolt is planning.

"Serena, go and help Geiz pull the chain! Kanade, you're with me!"

"Got it!" Kanade and Serena nodded as they ran towards their respective positions to set the trap.

"_Ok, the trap is set. Time to lure that Orphnoch in!"_ Zi-O thought as he and Copen then ran towards the middle of the chain and jumped over it. The Orphnoch kept chasing Zi-O and Copen, unaware of the chain in front of its path.

"Now!" Geiz yelled as he and Serena pulled one end of the chain, while Gunvolt and Kanade pulled the other way. The Orphnoch's legs tripped onto the chain as he began to fell over head first. As he was about to hit the ground, Zi-O did a quick U-turn and charged up the knuckle duster still equipped on his right hand.

"Gotcha, bitch!" Zi-O exclaimed as he delivered a powerful right uppercut with his knuckle duster as the Orphnoch was sent flying high into the air.

"Geiz, Finish Time now!" Zi-O declared that it's time to finish the fight.

"Right!" Geiz nodded as he and Zi-O equipped the Pointers on their right legs.

**READY!**

**POINTER ON!**

They then pushed the buttons on their Ridewatches, pushed the tilt button on their belts and turning a 360.

**FINISH TIME! FAIZ!**

**FINISH TIME! KAIXA!**

Geiz and Zi-O then both jumped high performing a forward flip, then shooting out a Photon beam from the pointers on their right legs, red and yellow respectively, and struck the Orphnoch's chest as it turned to their respective red and yellow cones of energy.

**EXCEED TIME BREAK!**

**EXCEED TIME BURST!**

"Rest in peace!" Zi-O and Geiz exclaimed as they kicked through their respective cones, drilling through the Orphnoch's chest and appeared landing right below it. After a few seconds, the Orphnoch exploded, leaving behind the Faiz and Kaixa symbols as it turned to ashes.

"Phew...glad that's over with." Kanade sighed in relief as she shouldered her spear.

"Indeed, that was scary..." Serena added.

"Yeah, let's keep moving forward. We're done with this area." Geiz said as he and Zi-O unequipped the Faiz and Kaixa Ridewatches and placed them back at their Ridewatch holders on their wrists. The Riders are now transformed back into their base forms.

"Though what about the Neo Time Jacker?" Gunvolt asked.

"We'll think about him later after we defeat Zonda and save Mytyl. Let's go." Copen replied as everyone began to walk towards the elevator to enter the next area. Though everyone can't help but think about the Neo Time Jacker's plan working alongside Eden, especially on what his reward is. Whatever it is, it can't be a good thing for the heroes.

* * *

**Chapter 3: Infiltrating Eden**

**END**


	4. Chapter 4: Legion and Nemesis

**Azure and Crimson**

**Chapter 4: Legion and Nemesis**

* * *

After their encounter with one of the Neo Time Jackers and the defeat of the Rhino Orphnoch he summoned with the Time Veil, our heroes are now walking in a new level as they exit the elevator. However, everyone felt that something doesn't feel right with this area. It felt...uneasy and...full of dread.

"I'm feeling something I can't quantify. Is it...dread?" Lola examined the new area as the heroes kept walking forward.

"Hmm...could it be a bug on your system, Lola?" Copen asked.

"I don't think it's a bug, Copen." Gunvolt corrected. "I'm starting to feel a determined rush of Septima here. Wait, no. It's more like... human emotions?"

"There's something really wrong about this place." Joule said.

"I agree, Joule." Serena nodded. "This place is making me feel uneasy..."

"I think it's safe to say we're very close to Zonda and Mytyl." Geiz stated.

"Anyway, do not let your guard down for a second. Anything can happen here because of Eden or that Neo Time Jacker." Zi-O advised as everyone nodded in response.

"Got it, not a good idea to be reckless either." Kanade said.

After a few moments of walking with no Eden troops along the way, they eventually reached a route split, one for the door below and one for the door in front.

"Hmm...should we split up to find any routes to the next level?" Kanade suggested.

"Let me and Copen contact Xiao and Nori, just in case." Gunvolt replied as he and Copen contacted the navigators. Thankfully the signal is still ok, but it might not work for long when they go deeper inside The Garden.

"Could you find out which correct path we should take, or should we split up instead?" Gunvolt contacted the navigators.

"_Like me and Nori said earlier, we don't have enough data on what's inside The Garden. Looks like you're all gonna have to split up instead." _Xiao replied.

"_Though we were able to detect some kind of weird electrical energy from beyond the front door, I think Gunvolt should take the front door while Copen will take the bottom door." _Nori added.

"_You should bring two teammates with you for support, just in case."_

"Got it, thanks for the info, guys. Over and out." Copen said as he and Gunvolt ended the call. "Well there you have it, team. While I take the bottom route, Gunvolt will take the front route. Any volunteers on who's going with who?"

After a few moments of discussions on who's going with who, they made their decision.

"Alright then, me and Kanade will go with you, GV. While Geiz and Serena will go with Copen." Zi-O declared.

"Got it, though how are we gonna be able to regroup?" Gunvolt asked.

"Ah, not to worry, everyone. The two routes should converge to the main route a few areas ahead, so we should be able to regroup there." Lola replied.

"That's good to know, thanks Lola."

"No problem!"

"Alright then, we're going first. Gunvolt, Joule, Zi-O, Kanade, be careful on your route." Geiz wished Gunvolt's team well as he and his team walked towards the bottom route.

"Copen, Lola, Geiz, Serena, same goes for you all as well. See you on the main route ahead." Zi-O wished Copen's team well as he and his team walked towards the front route.

* * *

**Copen's Route**

Copen, Serena and Geiz dropped down from the bottom route door and landed onto a platform. As they looked ahead, they saw that the route is under construction, with bottomless pits and death spikes from above the ceilings.

"Hmm...this route is gonna be tricky to traverse with those large pits." Geiz muttered.

"Lola, you came prepared for this situation?" Copen asked.

"Yup!" Lola replied. "I tweaked your auxiliary camera to +3 control, Copen. It should be easier for you to see what's ahead."

"Got it, thanks Lola. Alright Geiz, Serena, follow my lead and watch your step. I'll be able to traverse the area with my Bullit Dash and my hovering."

"Got it, though these footholds are very precarious." Serena said as she looked at the obstacles ahead. "It's a good thing my Symphogear allows me to jump high and fly for a bit."

"For me, well I can only jump high and not fly." Geiz admitted, but then he pulled out a grappling hook. "Luckily I still have some of Gunvolt's chain from earlier and turned it to a grappling hook."

"Heh, nice way to improvise, Geiz." Copen smirked. "Though did you asked Gunvolt's permission first?"

"He said that I can keep it, since he can always create more anyway. But enough talk, let's do some platforming."

Copen began to use his boosters and hovering to quickly navigate through the platforms as Lola floated right beside him. Serena used her wings on her Symphogear armor to fly across the area. And Geiz used his grappling hook to swing across the platforms. The three did encounter some Eden troops and drones along the way, but they were quickly eliminated.

"Looks like this route is still under construction." Copen muttered while he was boost dashing. "Idiots can't even build a secret base right..."

"Either that, or they're doing this on purpose to make us fall on bottomless pits." Geiz quipped while he was jumping and swinging. "And I HATE bottomless pits, right next to death spikes!"

"P-please don't say that out loud, Geiz..." Serena felt scared while she was flying.

"Ah, s-sorry about that, Serena. Didn't mean to scare you like that."

"Heh, and you're supposed to be the older brother, Geiz." Copen smirked.

"Shut it."

After a few minutes of traversing through the bottom route, they are able to make it to the door leading towards the main route.

"Finally, we made it back to the main route." Serena sighed in relief. "Let's hope Gunvolt's team are able to handle their route."

Copen, Serena and Geiz then went through the door, hoping that Gunvolt's team made it out of their route with not much trouble.

* * *

**Gunvolt's Route**

As Gunvolt, Kanade and Zi-O entered their front door route, they saw a large defensive barrier that's control locked along with two control panels located in different areas of the level.

"Hmm...looks like the barrier won't open unless we activate the two control panels." Zi-O examined the barrier and the control panels.

"Two control panels? Heh, I've missed stuff like this." Gunvolt smirked. "Leave this to me, I can open this thing up, no sweat. I'll just have to tag both control panels at once, and then zap 'em so the barrier will open."

"Ok then, GV. Do your stuff!" Kanade grinned.

Gunvolt then tagged the two control panels and then used his Flashfield to electrocute the panels and open the barrier. While the barrier is opened, the three heroes quickly ran inside and into the next area as the barrier behind them closed shut. In the next area of the route, they saw two more control panels, but they were linked with two defensive barriers.

"Linked defensive barriers, huh? Might be some kind of puzzle." Joule examined the control panels and barriers.

"Reminds me of some of the puzzles I saw on TV and video games." Kanade said. "Though to be honest...I kinda suck at puzzles..."

"Better leave the puzzle solving to me and GV then, Kanade." Zi-O sighed.

Thanks to Zi-O's knowledge on puzzle games, Gunvolt was able to open the barriers as the heroes quickly ran inside past the barrier and into the next area. As for the next area they are entering, it was a hard version of the previous area. This time, it's four control panels and four defensive barriers, with some more Eden troops added to the mix.

"W-what the heck?!" Joule exclaimed at the sight of the next puzzle.

"Oh boy, this...looks complicated..." Gunvolt muttered with a sweatdrop.

"I am REALLY gonna be stuck here if I tackle that puzzle alone." Kanade added with a sweatdrop.

"Let's think about how each panel relates to the barriers. There has to be a way to open them." Zi-O suggested as he and Gunvolt began to think about how to solve the next puzzle, while Kanade decided to vent out her stress on the puzzle by destroying the Eden troops. Well at least their job will be easier and Kanade can calm down for a bit. After a few moments, Zi-O and Gunvolt were able to figure out the puzzle as everyone quickly ran inside past the barrier leading to the next room. Fortunately, that was the last puzzle they needed to tackle as they reached the door leading to the main route.

"Finally, we made it! After this mission, remind me to never play puzzle games for a few weeks." Kanade exclaimed with relief as the three heroes went inside the door and into the main route where they can regroup with Copen's team.

"Make me wonder if they have an easier time on their route instead of ours." Zi-O quipped.

"I'm sure they'll be fine." Gunvolt replied. "Come on, let's go."

* * *

**Rendezvous Point**

Copen, Serena and Geiz are now looking around the area as they waited for Gunvolt's team to arrive. And just like that, Gunvolt, Kanade and Zi-O dropped down from the ceiling and landed behind Copen's team as they just turned around to see them arriving.

"Glad you guys made it in one piece." Geiz smiled from inside his helmet. "So, how'd it go?"

"We did alright, Geiz." Gunvolt replied. "Though do NOT invite Kanade to play some puzzle games for a few weeks."

"I never want to go through that goddamn route ever again..." Kanade deadpanned.

"Oh, well that sucks." Geiz said. "For us, we had to do some platforming across bottomless pits."

"If they are gonna make a secret base, they could've at least finish construction first..." Copen muttered.

"Oh, well that wasn't so bad." Zi-O said.

"They...also added death spikes for good measure." Serena added to Geiz's sentence.

"...Never mind. That's even worse."

"I'd rather take bottomless pits and death spikes over puzzles." Kanade muttered as everyone sweatdropped at her comment.

"Ahem, I think we should keep moving. Let's not keep Mytyl waiting." Copen said.

"Ah right, sorry about that. Let's go!" Zi-O replied as everyone moved on towards the next area, until they reached the next level of the fortress. Unfortunately, they were met with an ambush made by more Eden troops.

"Intruders on Level 4! Security, converge and destroy!" An Eden soldier reported as he and the rest of his troops began their attack.

"Sorry fellas, but we're in a hurry here! So, get lost!" Zi-O exclaimed as he and the other heroes brandished their weapons and began eliminating the Eden ambush. After a while, the ambush was eliminated as the heroes quickly ran to the next area that has a long stairway with large blue crystals hanging on the ceiling, leading towards Level 5 of The Garden. As they went to the next room on top of the stairway, the heroes were met with another Eden ambush.

"The intruders are on Level 5 now?! Stop them, no matter the cost!" Another Eden soldier exclaimed as he and the other troops began firing their guns at the heroes. The heroes quickly blocked their attacks, rushed towards the troops and began decimating them quickly. The ambush was quickly taken care of as a dying Eden soldier muttered his last words, "Z-Zonda...please forgive us... I pass the burden... to you..."

The heroes were silent at what happened, why are these soldiers throwing away their lives because of some misguided paradise? There's no time for regret however, as the heroes then ran towards another long stairway that leads them to Level 6 of the fortress. As they went to the next area on top of the stairway, they were once again met with yet another Eden ambush. These Eden troops are really getting persistent for their loyalty to Zonda.

"Please stop this! We don't want to hurt anymore soldiers! Stand down now!" Serena begged the Eden troops to stop fighting, but they were too stubborn to listen to reason.

"We know we cannot stop you, but if we even weaken you... then the price of our lives is one we will gladly pay!" An Eden soldier replied as he and the other troops began their attack.

"You. Stupid! IDIOTS!" Kanade snapped as she then pointed her spear above and created a gigantic fireball above her, jumped high and stabbed her spear onto the fireball as it unleashed a devastating flame beam towards the Eden ambush.

**SUPERGIANT∞FLARE**

The flame beam completely decimated the entire Eden ambush in a glorious blaze of fire. One of the dying Eden soldiers muttered, "All we have done... we did for our utopia..."

After the flames subsided, Kanade landed on the floor and started panting as she was exhausted from unleashing one of her strongest attacks. The other heroes were in shock and awe at Kanade's Symphogear power.

"...Remind me to NEVER piss her off like that." Zi-O said as Geiz, Gunvolt and Copen nodded in response. As for Serena, she quickly ran towards Kanade and helped her stand up.

"Kanade?...Are you alright?" Serena asked with worry.

"Hah...hah...sorry you had to see me like that, Serena. I'm fine though." Kanade replied as she was still exhausted. "It's just...they are throwing away their lives for this stupid false paradise."

"Yeah...is this what war feels like?"

"I'm afraid so, they are fighting for what they believe in, even if it's a lie."

Serena began to shed a few tears from her eyes as Kanade wipes them away with her fingers.

"Don't worry, Serena. We will get though this together. We need to keep moving forward towards a better future, for all of us." Kanade smiled.

"You're right, thank you so much, Kanade." Serena smiled back as she and Kanade embraced each other with a hug. The other heroes can't help but smile at their bond. They were right about one thing, they all need to keep moving forward towards a better future and not make the same mistakes as Eden did.

"Kanade, Serena, you girls ready to go?" Copen asked as the girls nodded in response.

"Let's go, Serena. We got a mission to finish." Kanade grinned.

"Yes Kanade, I'm right behind you." Serena replied with a smile as the heroes then ran towards the next area of the level.

"_Greek myth tells of Orpheus."_ Gunvolt thought. _"His wife was killed by a snake. So he went to Hades and won her back... with a catch. He couldn't look at her until they left Hades. And yet, he couldn't help himself. He looked, and he lost her. Looking at Kanade and Serena right now made me realize one thing, I will keep moving forward and never turn back."_

"_Kanade, Serena, I hope you'll reunite with your loved ones someday."_ Copen thought. _"Maybe you girls, Gunvolt, Zeo and Gaius are correct after all. Once we save Mytyl, destroy Eden and defeat Zonda, it's time I take a different path towards a better future, not as an Adept Slayer, but as a Luminous Avenger."_

After a few minutes of running towards the next level of the fortress, Lola sensed something weird on her scanner.

"Uh everyone? I'm getting a huge energy reading coming straight ahead, and I can't tell what it is." Lola reported.

"Is it Septima from an Adept?" Copen asked as Lola shook her head in response.

"I...don't think this energy reading is coming from an Adept, Boss."

"Then...what is it?" Serena asked curiously.

"Well standing around won't solve anything, let's go find out what it is." Kanade declared.

"Yeah, you're right, Kanade. Let's go, but be on your guard." Zi-O said as everyone nodded in response.

The heroes ran towards the location of the energy signal until Geiz stopped moving as he noticed some weird objects on the floor.

"Hold on, everyone. I see something on the floor." Geiz said as he got closer to the objects.

The other heroes went towards Geiz's position as he began examining the objects. After Geiz finished the examination, his eyes widened from inside the helmet as he knows what those objects are. Zi-O also felt the same way as Geiz when he saw the objects. The first one was a small white and grey metal-like suitcase with a blue triangle in the middle. The second one was a small silver and grey arm gauntlet that had some kind of handcuff. And last one was a small baton that can actually change forms into a blaster and a large gladius.

"Geiz? Are you feeling okay?" Copen asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Geiz replied. "It's just that...I know these objects from before, and they are DEFINITELY not from this world."

"What?!" Everyone exclaimed in shock, minus Zi-O since he also knew about those objects from somewhere else.

"Yeah, and I think I figured out what that energy reading is just ahead. And it's NOT good..."

"Though who left these in the first place?" Gunvolt asked, until everyone heard a loud roar along with some lasers and gunshots. They saw that it was coming from the same location as that large energy reading.

"Is Eden fighting someone or something right now?" Gunvolt said.

"Sounds like it, but we better take a look." Zi-O replied. "Geiz, we need to...wait, what are you doing?"

Everyone saw Geiz equipping the baton on his right hip, equipped the gauntlet on his left wrist and holding the small case on his left hand.

"It's better not to leave them here." Geiz answered. "I do not want anyone else to find these, especially Eden."

"Good point, Geiz." Copen nodded. "Who knows what Eden will do with them."

"Exactly, now let's go!"

The heroes quickly ran towards the energy signal, and when they reached the area, they were shocked as what is happening in front of them. The Eden troops are fighting a large, bulky robot that bears a vague resemblance to a bird. It is red with purple highlights, stands on two short legs, and has multiple cannons and guns attached to its sides. It also has a pair of horn-like rails attached to its head. The robot then fired drill missiles from its legs and completely decimated the Eden troops.

"Is that...a Plasma Legion?" Gunvolt said as everyone looked at the large robot.

"Wait, you mean you fought one of these before, Gunvolt?" Copen asked as Gunvolt nodded in response.

"Yeah, I fought one during my mission at the Seraph battleship. Though it looks like it made some upgrades since my last fight with it."

"What's a Plasma Legion?" Kanade asked.

"It was an automated war machine made by Sumeragi." Gunvolt explained. "Xiao told me it was a prototype though it looks like Eden somehow managed to finish it. But...why is it attacking the Eden troops right now?"

"What color of the lights the Plasma Legion had the first time you fought it, GV?" Zi-O asked.

"It was blue. Why?"

"Well...there's your answer. Someone not from Eden is controlling that robot."

"What?!" Everyone exclaimed at Zi-O's answer.

"Then, who's controlling it?" Serena asked.

"Look behind the robot." Zi-O replied as he pointed at the one behind the Plasma Legion.

The heroes saw the one behind the Plasma Legion a floating humanoid with highly ridged and textured black skin, glowing red eyes, and wearing a red-accented, black and grey armor-like plating covering its lower arms and legs, chest, back, shoulders, and head. It was holding a large axe on its right hand while his left hand was stretched forward towards the Plasma Legion, controlling it with a red aura. It also has a black plate on its forehead and has three extensions from its hips, resembling skirt armor. The word 'POLICE' is written on the skirt-like extensions and the upper part of its axe, 'NEURON' on its left shoulder, and 'SV-01' on the lower part of the axe, the handle of the axe, its lower arms, legs, and chestpiece. In the center of its chest is a triangular cavity with a dark red glowing core.

"What the gacking hell is that?!" Gunvolt exclaimed at the sight of the humanoid.

"I'm not sure, I've never seen anything like that before!" Copen added.

"That goes for me and Serena too!" Kanade added while Serena nodded in response.

"Geiz...is that...a Legion?" Zi-O asked while in shock.

"Correction, it's a Nemesis. More specifically...an Axe Nemesis!" Geiz corrected.

"Legion?" Kanade and Serena repeated.

"Nemesis?" Gunvolt and Copen also repeated.

"Wait, you know what that thing is?!" Lola exclaimed.

"Well...playing video games can make you know a lot of stuff, even if it's fiction." Geiz admitted while Zi-O added with a nod.

"If the multiverse is real, then so is that thing." Zi-O added.

"Though I never thought it would infect the Plasma Legion like that and make it go berserk."

The Plasma Legion and the Axe Nemesis then both looked towards the heroes and make ready their weapons. The heroes prepared their battle stances in response.

"So who should we take down first? The robot or that humanoid?" Gunvolt asked.

"Personally, I'd rather take down the humanoid first. He should be simple to take down." Kanade suggested, until the Axe Nemesis created a red barrier around itself. "Oh, come on! It can summon a barrier too?!"

"Is any one of us good at breaking barriers?!" Geiz asked. "I know that my Zikan Zax can do the job!"

"Hmm...I think one of my EX Weapons can break some barriers!" Copen replied.

"Good enough for me! Me and Copen will deal with the Axe Nemesis! Everyone else, take out that Plasma Legion!"

"Roger that!" The other heroes nodded in response.

"Alright then, it's go time!" Zi-O declared as he, Gunvolt, Kanade and Serena rush into battle against the Plasma Legion, while Geiz and Copen rushed towards the Axe Nemesis.

The Axe Nemesis slammed the floor with his axe creating a large shockwave towards Geiz and Copen. They jumped high to avoid the attack and then Copen did a Bullit Dash onto the Axe Nemesis as it was then tagged. Then Copen unleashed one of his barrier breaking EX Weapons, the **Prism Break** as the attack bits created a large prism in front of Copen and collided with the barrier, shattering both it and the prism while the prism shards damaged the Axe Nemesis.

"Nice job breaking that barrier, now let's do some damage!" Geiz said as he rushed towards the Axe Nemesis with his Zikan Zax ready.

"Understood!" Copen replied as he began firing his gun while his attack bits fired homing lasers, both attacked aimed towards the Axe Legion.

Meanwhile, the Plasma Legion fired large drill missiles from its legs, some flying towards the four heroes while some drilled onto the floor and detonated after a few seconds. The heroes are able to dodge the attacks carefully, then Gunvolt fired his gun and tagged the barrier created by the robot and then used his Flashfield to electrocute the barrier until it was broken.

"The barrier is down, now strike hard and fast!" Gunvolt ordered while he was still using his Flashfield onto the tagged robot and fired his gun.

"Got it!" The heroes replied as Zi-O fired his Zikan Gilade Gun Mode, at the head of the robot, damaging it in the process.

Kanade unleashed a large red tornado towards the robot, damaging it and making it stumble for a bit.

**LAST∞METEOR**

Serena then threw her knife in the air above the Plasma Legion, before it stopped and quickly descended, striking the target with a strong impact.

**XANA†TEARS**

The robot then retaliated by charging the cannon inside its mouth to shoot a blue plasma ball towards the heroes. They managed to dodge the plasma ball as it impacts the ground instead, but then the ball splits into four smaller balls that travelled along the ground. They were able to dodge by jumping over the small energy balls and then they counterattacked with slashes, bullets and electricity. The Plasma Legion stumbled back after the assault and then retaliated by flipping down the rails from its shoulders and then fired a massive energy blast towards the heroes.

"Incoming energy laser!" Gunvolt yelled as he and the other heroes jumped away from the laser's path as it tore through the ground and the walls.

"Is it just me, or is this Plasma Legion a lot stronger from last time?!" Zi-O exclaimed as he was catching his breath from dodging its attacks.

"Could it be because of Eden?" Serena guessed.

"Or was it because of that red humanoid?" Kanade added.

"I think it's probably both." Joule answered.

"If we're gonna have a chance against that Plasma Legion, Geiz and Copen better bring down that Axe Nemesis ASAP!" Zi-O exclaimed.

"Hope they won't take too long!" Gunvolt added. "We can't hold it off forever!"

Meanwhile back to Geiz and Copen's fight against the Axe Nemesis, all of them are at a stalemate. The Axe Nemesis swung his axe at Geiz as he try to dodge and block its axe blows while countering back with axe strikes with his Zikan Zax while he was still holding that small briefcase. Copen used his **Prism Break** EX Weapon to break the barriers the Axe Nemesis keeps creating, but he can't do this forever as his weapon energy is starting to run out and there is no time to recharge.

Geiz and Copen then jumped back a few steps away from the Axe Nemesis as it roars its battle cry.

"This is getting nowhere, that thing is tough..." Copen said while exhausted from attacking and dodging.

"I agree, we can't keep doing this forever, especially when it keeps creating barriers." Geiz replied.

"I'm gonna run out of weapon energy soon. And why are you still holding on to that case, Geiz?!" Lola exclaimed. "I dunno if it will do much!"

Geiz thought for a moment and looked at the small case he was holding. "_Hmm...I wonder..."_ He then looked towards Copen and said, "Copen, I think it's time I use this thing. Hold off the Axe Nemesis for just a while longer!"

"Alright Geiz, I hope you know what you're doing!" Copen nodded. "Lola, let's buy him some time!"

"Right behind you, Boss!" Lola replied as she and Copen rushed towards the Axe Nemesis to distract it.

Geiz then took a deep breath and nodded at the case. He then placed the case on his upper wrist as the case opened itself and attached to his wrist. It became some kind of device with an AI on it.

"**Please insert new ID."** The AI from the device spoke in a monotone voice.

"Eh? Um...My name is Gaius Cornell. Age: 22. Blood type: A" Geiz answered.

"**Analysing...New ID confirmed. Legatus Access Granted. Welcome, Gaius Cornell."**

"Set Legatus to MODE-C."

"**MODE-C: Ready"**

Geiz grinned from inside his helmet as he finally knows what do to next. But first, he needed to weaken the Axe Nemesis just a bit more so that he can put his plan into motion. He then prepared his Zikan Axe and then brandished the baton from his right hip and set the baton to Gladius Mode, which looks like a dark grey greatsword and blue energy lines across the sides of the blade.

"_Right then, let's go capture a Legion!"_ Geiz thought to himself as he rushed towards the Axe Nemesis while it was attacking Copen. Copen tried to Bullit Dash onto the Axe Nemesis but then it swung his axe at Copen as he took a hard hit to the chest and sent him flying a few steps and landed hard onto the ground. Copen slowly tried to stand up as the Axe Nemesis slowly floated towards him. As the Axe Nemesis is about to struck the final blow with an overhead strike, the attack was blocked by Geiz using his Zikan Zax and the Gladius greatsword.

"Sorry Copen! Was I late?" Geiz asked while blocking the attack.

"Heh, took you long enough, Geiz!" Copen replied with a smirk.

"Time for me to finish the fight!" Geiz declared as he pushed back the Axe Nemesis and performed a cross slash with both of his weapons onto its chest, pushing it back even more while damaging it. He then took out the Faiz Ridewatch, turned the dial and inserted the watch onto the Zikan Zax.

**FINISH TIME! FAIZ!**

With the Zikan Zax charged up with Red Photon energy, Geiz then rushed towards the Axe Nemesis and performed an overhead strike with both his axe and greatsword.

**ZAKKURI CUTTING!**

The Axe Nemesis tried to block the attack with its barrier, but it was no use as the barrier was broken though and pushed back the Axe Nemesis, leaving behind a Faiz symbol. Then Geiz performed a side slash with both of his weapons onto its chest and sent it tumbling a few steps back onto the floor, dropping its large axe in the process. With the Axe Nemesis weakened, Geiz unequipped his weapons and activated the now named Legatus device on his left wrist as it opened up and prepared a capture ring. Geiz then launched the blue capture ring as it flew towards the Axe Nemesis and trapped it inside the ring. It was struggling to escape, but after a few moments a glowing blue collar was materialized and attached to its neck, stopping its movements. Also there was a long glowing blue chain that was materialized and connected from the collar on the Nemesis to the cuff gauntlet on Geiz's left arm. The Axe Nemesis eyes were changed to blue, the skin was changed to blue, the plate on its forehead is also changed to blue, and the color of its armor was now changed to a green accented, white and grey color.

"Now then, get over here!" Geiz commanded as he pulled the chain with his arm as the humanoid floated right beside him. It was now under his control. "Welcome to the team, Axe Legion!" Geiz said to his new partner. With the Legion now on Geiz's command, he walked towards Copen and offered a hand. Copen grabbed Geiz's hand as he slowly stood up and feeling a bit exhausted.

"Thanks for the help." Copen said.

"Anytime, Copen." Geiz replied.

"Btw, I didn't know that baton can turn into a greatsword."

"This isn't just a normal baton, it's an X-Baton."

"So...that thing is on our side now?" Lola asked while looking at the Legion. "It's not gonna attack us again, right?"

"Don't worry, I got the Axe Legion under control." Geiz replied.

"But I thought it was called the Axe Nemesis."

"That was before I captured it with the Legatus." Geiz pointed at the Legatus on his wrist. "With this device, I can capture and control the Legion by my own will."

"So this thing is a Legion now?" Copen asked as Geiz nodded in response.

The Axe Legion then tapped on Geiz's shoulder and gestured its head towards the other heroes and the Plasma Legion. There was some unfinished business to take care of.

"Oh right, forgot about them." Geiz said as he looked at the other heroes still fighting the Plasma Legion. "Let's finish up this fight!"

"Got it!" Copen replied as he, Lola, Geiz and the Axe Legion rushed towards the other heroes. The other heroes were doing ok for a while, until the Plasma Legion began to perform its trump card, The **Aero Runner**. The robot detached itself into two parts, a flying jet and a battletank, and then both the jet and the tank began charging towards the heroes.

"I didn't know it could do that!" Kanade exclaimed as she looked at the jet and the tank.

"Everyone watch out and don't get hit!" Serena also exclaimed.

The jet and the battletank quickly rushed towards the heroes as the machines tried to ram into them. The heroes quickly dodged them, but they were starting to get exhausted for fighting too long. The jet was just about to ram into Gunvolt and Zi-O, until it was intercepted by Copen using his **Twintail Bunker** EX Weapon by drilling on the jet's head.

"Sorry I'm late, the Axe Nemesis is taken care of!" Copen exclaimed as he used his EX Weapon to push back the jet until it was staggered and fell to the ground. Meanwhile the battletank was about to run over the exhausted Kanade and Serena, until its movements were halted by a glowing blue chain.

"Hey! Over here!" Geiz said as the girls turned their attention towards him as he was pulling the blue chain.

"Geiz, you made it!" Kanade grinned.

"But why are you holding a blue chain?" Serena asked. Geiz gestured his head towards the one holding the other end of the chain. As the girls looked who it is, they were shocked to see the same humanoid pulling the other end of the chain to prevent the battletank from ramming the girls.

"Meet my new partner, the Axe Legion!" Geiz declared as he and the Legion used the chain to launch the battletank into the air like a slingshot. "Let 'em have it, ladies!" Geiz exclaimed as the girls nodded in response.

Kanade and Serena fully charged up their weapons and then threw them towards the launched battletank, striking it with a large impact.

**SAGITARIUS∞ARROW**

**GNOME†TRIAL**

The attacks struck the battletank hard as it fell into the ground with a hard impact and unable to move.

"Axe Legion, finish it off!" Geiz commanded the Legion by flinging his chain towards the battletank and then the Legion flew into the air and stabbed the top of the tank with his large axe, piercing through the armor. The Legion then pulled the axe away from the tank as the axe also left behind some kind of blue time bomb that looks like the axe the Legion was holding. After a few seconds, the bomb detonated, destroying the battletank in a large explosion. Kanade, Serena and Geiz were in awe at the Axe Legion's power.

Kanade then spoke, "Wow, that could've been us if that humanoid-"

"Ahem, Legion." Geiz corrected.

"...Okay, that Legion was still our enemy. Though how did you manage to control it?"

"You can thank the Legatus for that." Geiz answered as he pointed at the device on his left wrist.

"So that's a Legatus, huh? Wait, that looked like the small case you were holding earlier! When did it turn into that?!"

"Video game knowledge. I'll explain when this mission is over."

"Alright, if you say so."

The Axe Legion then floated towards the three heroes as the Legion nodded towards Geiz for finishing the task.

"Nice job, now go get some rest. You've earned it." Geiz said as the Axe Legion disappeared into the Legatus and the device closed itself.

"Amazing..." Serena was in awe at the Legatus device.

Geiz nodded and said, "With the Axe Legion on our side, it's gonna make our fight against Eden a lot easier."

"Yep." Kanade nodded. "I wonder if there are more of these? Could we make more?"

"Hmm...I'm not sure."

"Maybe we can ask Einstein later so she can figure out how?" Serena suggested.

"I guess it's worth a shot." Geiz replied. "Now let's go see how the others are doing."

The girls nodded as everyone rushed towards the other heroes still fighting the other part of the Plasma Legion. However, the fight is about to be over as the jet is still struggling to fly after Copen's counterattack.

"You boys up for a Finish Time?" Zi-O asked Gunvolt and Copen.

"I thought you'd never ask." Gunvolt smirked as Zi-O pushed the button on the Ridewatch, slammed the tilt button on the belt and gave it a 360 spin.

**FINISH TIME!**

As Zi-O prepared to jump to perform his Rider Kick, floating letters that spelled 'Kick' in kakatana surrounded the jet.

"I'll go first! **Shred Storm!**" Copen commanded the bits as they attacked the jet in blinding speeds while sending it to the air, and finishing off with a final three line slash.

"Next up...**Luxcalibur!**" Gunvolt jumped high into the air and threw a large electric blade towards the jet, striking it and leaving the sword on it.

"And finally...!" Zi-O jumped high onto Gunvolt's hands with his feet as he then launched Zi-O like a springboard high into the air.

**TIME BREAK!**

Zi-O then thrust his right leg forward with the surrounding kakatanas merging into one, colliding onto his right boot, and then striking Gunvolt's Luxcalibur onto the jet and caused a large electrical explosion, destroying the jet as Zi-O then landed below the explosion with his feet.

Gunvolt and Copen smirked at Zi-O for a job well done and walked towards him.

"Now THAT, is teamwork." Zi-O smirked as he was standing up. After a while, all the heroes regrouped at the stairway entrance leading towards the next level of The Garden.

"It was a hard fight, but we won. And we got a new ally to help us out; the Axe Legion." Geiz said.

"I see, so what happened to the Axe Nemesis?" Gunvolt asked.

"Geiz used a device called the Legatus to capture the Nemesis and turned it into a Legion." Copen pointed at the Legatus on Geiz's left wrist.

"So that's how. Wait, is that...?"

"The small case Geiz was holding earlier? Well, it turned into that when he equipped it."

"Ah, that explains it. Thank god you found and kept it before Eden did."

"Yeah, imagine if Eden got a hold of it, along with the Legion." Kanade added as everyone shuddered at the thought of Eden using them. That would be very bad indeed. And then suddenly...

"Gyaaah!" Lola and Joule screamed in pain.

"Huh? Lola, what's wrong?!" Copen asked with worry as everyone turned their attention to Lola and Joule.

"Joule? You ok?!" Gunvolt added with worry.

"So much...human feelings...!" Joule said while still in pain and clutching her forehead with her right hand.

"The Septima Shards...they are reacting to something! Zonda and Mytyl have to be close by!" Lola added while doing the same thing Joule is feeling.

"Then...that means..." Serena began as she and the other heroes looked towards the end of the stairway.

"...They are right at the next level, huh?" Kanade finished.

"Let's finish this." Zi-O declared as everyone ran up the stairway and towards the next level of the Garden.

"_I know the shards react to Zonda..."_ Copen thought while he was running. "_But why do they react to Mytyl? It's like when Lola first took human form...I guess we'll find out when we confront them. Hang on just a little longer, Mytyl. I'm...no...WE are coming!"_

"_Prepare yourself, Zonda. We're coming for you...!"_ Gunvolt thought while also running.

_And so the stage is set as our heroes are closing in to their final battle against Zonda, but there is still one final trial they must finish before facing her; The revived Seven Eden Adepts. Though why is there a Legatus, the X-Baton and the Axe Nemesis in Gunvolt's world in the first place? They clearly do not belong in this world, so why are they appearing here? As always...Only time will tell..._

* * *

**Chapter 4: Legion and Nemesis**

**END**

_**Author's Note: I decided to add something from Astral Chain to make things interesting, consider that a glimpse of a future story someday since there hasn't been an Astral Chain fanfic yet. Besides, Astral Chain is a really damn good game too.**_


	5. Chapter 5: The Revived Seven

**Azure and Crimson**

**Chapter 5: The Revived Seven**

* * *

After many trials our heroes have gone through, they finally made it to the highest level of The Garden. Somewhere in this level is the location of Zonda and Mytyl, however there is still one more trial our heroes must complete and time is running out.

"This is it, everyone. We made it to the highest level of the fortress." Zi-O said as the heroes are running along the hallway and towards the next area.

"Though...this place feels different than the other levels." Gunvolt said.

"Yeah, I was thinking about the same thing." Copen added.

"_Trou... ...an't get through... ...ind of interfer..."_ Xiao and Nori tried to contact Gunvolt and Copen, but something happened to the communications.

"Xiao, can you read me?" Gunvolt asked.

"Nori, can you respond?" Copen also asked.

But after a few seconds, the communications were cut off and they can no longer contact the navigators.

"Damn it, looks like the communications are being jammed." Copen muttered.

"I guess Zonda is to blame for that by using her Septima." Geiz said.

"Well, looks like we're on our own, everyone." Kanade sighed with her hands on her hips.

"We made it this far, we can't stop now." Serena said with determination on her face.

"Serena's right, we're not leaving without Mytyl and defeating Zonda." Zi-O nodded.

"Then let's keep going, they can't be that far ahead." Gunvolt said as everyone continued to run along the hallway. After a while, they started to notice the floor being covered with ice and the air became cold.

"Is it just me, or is this area starting to become colder?" Zi-O asked.

"Wait a second, this cold area feels like the one back at the frozen city!" Serena realised something familiar that happened before.

"Which could only mean one thing..." Kanade began as the heroes stopped running and looked towards a familiar blue icy figure waiting for them. It was none other than Tenjian, revived by Zonda's Septima.

"Tenjian..." Gunvolt and Copen finished her sentence and frowned at Tenjian.

"It's been quite a while since we last fought. I was waiting for you." Tenjian greeted.

"Kinda figured Zonda would revive the fallen Eden Adepts, you included." Geiz stated.

"Though are you really the same Tenjian as the one we fought before?" Kanade asked with curiosity.

"I am Tenjian... and yet I am not." Tenjian answered. "I am an illusion made with Tenjian's powers and memories. A replica made by my sister Zonda's Septima, Phantasm Mirror."

"I see..." Serena said, until she realised the one thing Tenjian said earlier that made her eyes widen. "Wait, Zonda...is your sister?!"

"WHAT?!" The heroes were shocked that Tenjian's sister is actually the leader of Eden, Zonda.

"I'm sorry, but did you say that Zonda is actually your sister?!" Kanade asked while still in shock.

"That is correct." Tenjian answered. "However it's not by blood, but we were raised together. We are orphans who suffered and had no real family, so we decided to raise our own and grew as one. Thus am I able to stand before you all, even in death. She desires humanity's end and I will see it done!" Tenjian then brandished his icy twin blades and pointed one of the blades towards the heroes. "Now come forth! Offer up your lives as sacrifices to our cause!"

"I also have people that I want to protect, Tenjian... and that means I won't let you defeat me!" Gunvolt declared as he pointed his gun towards Tenjian.

"I'd tell you to pray, but you'd need a soul first. We defeated you before, and we'll gladly do it again!" Copen also declared and pointed his gun at Tenjian.

However, Zi-O and Geiz raised their arms towards the other heroes and stopped them from moving forward.

"Hey, what are you guys doing?! We're about to fight him, you know!" Kanade exclaimed.

"You four already had your chance at defeating Tenjian and won, so how about you all let me and Geiz have a shot at him?" Zi-O said.

"Are you sure?" Serena asked.

"Don't worry, we can handle him." Geiz replied.

The other heroes looked at each other for a moment. After a while, Gunvolt and Copen nodded at Zi-O and Geiz as they made their decision.

"Alright then, Kamen Riders. He's all yours." Gunvolt said as he and Copen lowered their guns.

"Good luck, both of you." Joule wished them luck.

"Don't you dare lose to him." Copen added.

"Show that Adept who's boss!" Lola also added.

"Go and kick his ass for us!" Kanade grinned as she punched her fists together.

"Best of luck, Kamen Riders!" Serena also wished them luck as the Riders then looked towards Tenjian and walked a few steps forward.

"We'll be your opponents this time, Tenjian." Zi-O declared with determination on his face.

"If you insist." Tenjian nodded. "What are your names?"

"Zeo Naotora, Kamen Rider Zi-O." Zi-O introduced.

"Gaius Cornell, Kamen Rider Geiz." Geiz also introduced.

"Very well then, Zi-O, Geiz..." Tenjian began as the Riders brandished their melee weapons and prepared their battle stances. "...prepare yourselves! En Garde!"

The three fighters rushed to towards each other as they then clashed their blades and were locked into a power struggle. Tenjian was being pushed back a bit by Zi-O and Geiz so he jumped a few steps back and performed a forward thrust. The Riders dodged the attack as Zi-O jumped left while Geiz jumped right. Zi-O then rushed towards Tenjian and performed an overhead slash with his Zikan Gilade Ken Mode, while Geiz did the same thing with his Zikan Zax Ono Mode. However Tenjian was able to block both attacks with his twin blades and knocked them back with an ice wall. The Riders broke the ice wall to attack Tenjian, but he jumped high and launched his Ice Chakrams towards the Riders. Geiz also jumped high to evade the chakrams and rushed towards Tenjian to attack him while in the air. Zi-O instead chose to slide under the chakrams to evade as he then switched his Zikan Gilade to Zyu Mode and charged up his weapon. While Geiz and Tenjian clashed their weapons again while still in the air, Zi-O fired a charged shot at Tenjian from below while Zi-O is still sliding. The shot struck the unsuspecting Tenjian on his back as he groaned in pain and his guard broken. Geiz took his chance to strike back at Tenjian with a strong side axe strike as the attack sent Tenjian quickly towards the floor with a large impact as his armor was damaged in the process.

The other heroes were in awe at the Riders' teamwork. They took advantage of the situation and countered back with a distraction and a sneak attack.

"Not bad for a distraction. Geiz was busy clashing with Tenjian while still in the air, and then Zi-O took advantage of it and fired a charge shot at the distracted Tenjian from below, breaking his guard so that Geiz can counterattack." Copen recalled the Riders' strategy.

"Indeed, it's like they are in sync with each other in perfect harmony." Gunvolt added.

"Well they are close friends after all, so it makes sense that they can work well together." Kanade replied.

"Still, they should be careful. Tenjian still has some strength left within him." Serena added with worry.

Geiz landed next to Zi-O as he was standing up after sliding and switched his weapon back to Ken Mode. Tenjian slowly stood up after Geiz's counterattack and said, "Impressive. But it will take more than that to stop me!"

With his twin blades ready, Tenjian began dashing towards the Riders as he left behind ice spikes while he was dashing. The Riders are prepared to block his attack but then Tenjian jumped over them as the ice spikes quickly approached the Riders. Geiz performed a shockwave with his axe to destroy the ice spikes while Zi-O looked the other way as he saw Tenjian launching his Ice Chakrams again from the air. Geiz then chose to block the chakrams with his axe while Zi-O jumped over the chakrams and towards Tenjian and prepared to attack with a side slash. Tenjian then combined his twin blades into a double blade and threw the blade at Zi-O like a boomerang buzzsaw. As the double blade quickly closed in onto Zi-O, he decided to use his Zikan Gilade to strike the double blade and slowed down its spinning speed. Tenjian was shocked as Zi-O then caught the double blade with his free hand, rushed towards Tenjian and was assaulted with several slashes using the Zikan Gilade and his own double blade. Zi-O ended his assault with an overhead slash with both weapons, sending Tenjian falling to the ground with a large impact. Before Zi-O landed on the ground, he then threw the double blade towards Geiz as he then caught the blade, and then threw the double blade and the Zikan Zax towards Tenjian like a double boomerang. The attacks struck Tenjian hard, damaging his armor even more as he then kneeled to the floor with one knee and one hand supporting him. Geiz then caught the weapons, then threw Tenjian's double blade to the floor and in front of him, and then Geiz said with a smirk, "Thank you for the weapon, Tenjian. You can have it back." Geiz then walked towards Zi-O and fist bumped for a job well done.

The other heroes were once again in awe at their next strategy.

"Did you guys see that? That was so cool!" Lola said with glee. "Uhh...no pun intended."

"Indeed, they used Tenjian's own weapon against him." Copen replied.

"I thought Zi-O was going to reflect the double blade back towards Tenjian." Joule added.

"But instead he struck the double blade to slow down its spinning speed so that he can catch it safely." Gunvolt replied.

"And then Zi-O counterattacked Tenjian with both weapons and sent Tenjian crashing to the ground." Serena finished.

"Not only that, Zi-O threw the double blade to Geiz and then Geiz threw both the blade and the axe like a double boomerang towards Tenjian, striking him down." Kanade added. "I dunno about you guys, but that was pretty badass!" Kanade grinned as the other heroes nodded in response; that was badass indeed.

As Tenjian was slowly standing up again, grabbed his double blade and turned it back to his twin blades, Tenjian growled and asked, "To think...you would push me this far...who are you two anyway?"

"We're just passing through Kamen Riders, remember that." Zi-O simply replied.

"Hmph, very well then. I'll mark that on your tombstones after I finish you!" Tenjian exclaimed as he began to focus all his energy gathering up frosty air for his final trump card.

"**Seven Star Slash!"**

"What?!" The Riders were shocked at Tenjian's final attack cry. They were expecting him to use Frigid Blossom instead.

"Huh?!" The other heroes were also shocked at Tenjian's final attack cry.

"I thought he was going to use Frigid Blossom instead!" Serena exclaimed.

Kanade winced at that memory when she was stuck by that attack before during their last fight.

"Kanade, you alright?" Gunvolt asked with worry.

"Yeah, I'm fine..." Kanade nodded. "Just having a bad memory when I was stuck by Tenjian's Frigid Blossom. But Seven Star Slash instead?"

"From the looks of it, it's the same tactic Tenjian is using. But something tells me the execution is going to be a lot different." Copen stated.

"This is going to hurt a lot worse..." Lola said with worry.

"Zeo, Gaius, please be alright..." Joule prayed for the Riders' safety.

As the Riders are looking towards Tenjian with their battle stance ready, Zi-O whispered to Geiz, "Okay, I never expected Tenjian to use his other trump card instead."

"Yeah, I think we gave him quite a beatdown that he wants us dead immediately." Geiz replied.

"Anyway, remember the attack pattern he's going to pull off?"

"Yup, let's stick together and dodge the flash-freeze."

"And when he's done with his attack, we'll give him a Finish Time."

After Tenjian finished charging up his energy, he jumped high and disappeared.

"Alright, this is it...get ready Zi-O." Geiz said as he and Zi-O prepared to dodge Tenjian's upcoming attack.

The Riders dodged the first flash-freeze with a backdash as it left behind an ice pillar, jumped over the second flash-freeze from below and landing onto the ice pillar, dodged the third flash-freeze with a backdash while still standing on the ice pillar, and then dodged the last flash-freeze with a forward dash. With the attack concluded, all of the ice pillars shattered as the Riders landed safely to the ground. The Riders then looked around the area as Tenjian is nowhere to be seen. Wasn't he supposed to be in front of the Riders after the attack ended and exhausting himself?

"Wait...where did he go?" Geiz asked as he and Zi-O are still looking around.

"I thought he was supposed to be in front of us with exhaustion." Zi-O said.

The other heroes also looked around the area for Tenjian. Until Kanade noticed something from above coming down towards the Riders that made her eyes widen. Kanade quickly looked towards the Riders and yelled, "Guys, above you!"

The Riders quickly looked up and saw Tenjian quickly approaching them as he was preparing a powerful downward slash. The Riders are about to block the upcoming attack with their weapons, until the Legatus from Geiz's wrist opened up and called forth the Axe Legion as it flew towards Tenjian and countered his attack with a powerful side axe swing that knocked him back into the air.

"What?!" That shocked Tenjian as he was knocked back by the Axe Legion as it then performed a spinning strike that struck him several times and ending with a powerful sideways axe swing that sent Tenjian crashing to the ground with a large impact. The Riders looked at the Axe Legion as it flew towards them and nodded.

"Did...did the Legion just..." Zi-O asked.

"Yup, it did." Geiz replied to Zi-O and then nodded at the Axe Legion. "Thanks partner."

The Riders and the Legion then looked towards Tenjian as Geiz said, "Let's end this. Finish Time!"

Geiz took out the Faiz Ridewatch, turned the dial and slot it into the Zikan Zax Ono Mode. While Zi-O took out the Kaixa Ridewatch, turned the dial and slot it into the Zikan Gilade Ken Mode.

**FINISH TIME! FAIZ!**

**FINISH TIME! KAIXA!**

Geiz's axe was charged up with red photon energy while Zi-O's sword was charged up with yellow photon energy. The Axe Legion decided to join in as he charged up his large axe. Then the three attackers rushed towards the slowly standing Tenjian as Zi-O performed a left diagonal slash, Geiz with a right diagonal strike and the Axe Legion with a strong overhead strike.

**ZAKKURI CUTTING!**

**GIRI GIRI SLASH!**

The three attacks struck a direct blow to Tenjian as the three stopped behind him, leaving behind the Faiz and Kaixa symbols and a large vertical axe slash mark onto Tenjian.

"Forgive me...Zonda..." Tenjian muttered his last words as he was turned into a pink mirror and shattered all over the floor, leaving no trace of him left.

"Sweet dreams...Tenjian." Zi-O said as he and Geiz unequipped their weapons and the Axe Legion disappeared back into the Legatus. With the fight over, the other heroes ran towards the Riders to regroup.

"Nice job, guys." Gunvolt said with a small smile.

"Well done, Kamen Riders." Joule also smiled.

"You did well against Tenjian. Not bad, I'm impressed." Copen added.

"Great job kicking his butt!" Lola also added.

"You did great guys!" Serena smiled.

"Now that's teamwork!" Kanade grinned. "I thought he had you at the end there."

"Thanks everyone." Zi-O smiled and then looked towards Kanade and Geiz. "Though I gotta thank Kanade for the warning and Geiz for his Legion."

"Hehe, it was nothing." Kanade chuckled.

"Though I never thought the Axe Legion would come out of the Legatus by itself and protect the both of you like that." Serena said.

"Heh, I guess the Legion is starting to grow on me as a friend and not a tool." Geiz replied.

"Um, why a tool?" Lola asked.

"Because most people tend to see the Legion as living weapons like a tool and not a friend." Geiz explained. "They should've treat them as equal partners and not abuse them for personal gain. Kinda like how you and Copen work well together as partners, Lola. The stronger the bond, the more powerful the both of you can be."

"You really think so huh, Geiz?" Copen asked.

"Yup."

"Huh, now that I think about it, my bond with Lola is getting stronger the more we fight together." Copen admitted.

"You really think so, Boss?" Lola asked.

"Maybe."

"Does this mean that your bond with Lola is stronger than me and Joule?" Gunvolt smirked.

"Don't push it, Gunvolt."

"Hey, my bond with GV is a lot stronger than you and Lola!" Joule exclaimed.

"Nope, my bond with Copen is way stronger!" Lola retorted.

Everyone, minus Joule, Lola, Gunvolt and Copen, laughed at their friendly and harmless bickering.

"Okok, that's enough. We don't wanna keep Mytyl waiting." Zi-O said as everyone stopped laughing.

"Um, right. Let's not keep my sister waiting." Copen replied as he cleared his throat.

"Alright, let's go!" Gunvolt declared as everyone ran along the hallway and into the next room. They eventually reached the end of the room and saw a pink, transparent mirror in front of them.

"What...is that?" Serena asked.

"I know this one." Gunvolt explained. "This mirror will teleport you to another location when you walk inside it. Where it will lead us is beyond me."

"Well, no place to go but to walk inside that mirror." Kanade shrugged as she and the other heroes walked inside the mirror as it teleported them into a room with six more pink transparent mirrors around different locations with one grey transparent mirror in the middle of the room.

"Six pink mirrors and one plain mirror." Gunvolt muttered. "Which could only mean one thing..."

"The other six revived Eden Adepts are just beyond each mirror. The ones me and Gunvolt defeated before we met the four of you." Copen finished.

"In other words, we're in a Boss Rush room." Zi-O added. "But since there are six of us here and six mirrors..."

"We're splitting up, aren't we?" Kanade guessed as Geiz nodded in response.

"Yep, each of us will deal with one of the Eden Adepts." Geiz replied. "The final mirror won't activate until all of the revived Eden Adepts are defeated, so don't ever lose."

Then everyone turned their attention towards Serena as Copen asked, "Serena, are you sure you can handle one Eden Adept alone?"

"Don't worry, everyone. I can handle it." Serena nodded. "I have to be strong and brave, for the sake of my sister Maria."

"Very well then, Serena. Good luck." Copen smiled as he patted on Serena's head and she giggled in response.

"Hey, when did you get to pat her head like that?" Zi-O complained.

"She reminds you of your sister Mytyl, right?" Geiz asked as Copen nodded in response.

"In a way...yes." Copen admitted, while hiding his small red blush on his face.

"Alright everyone, best of luck out there!" Zi-O wished them luck as everyone split up and ran towards each one of their respective mirrors to battle against the six revived Eden Adepts.

* * *

**Gunvolt's Path**

After walking inside of one of the mirrors, Gunvolt is now teleported to inside of a green cyberspace like arena with pixels flying around. Gunvolt fought one of the Eden Adepts in this arena before during his mission at the Data Facility. And as Gunvolt looked up and see the floating green Adept in front of him, it was none other than Teseo, the same Adept Copen met back at the Sewer area.

"Spoiler Alert: ...You gon die." Teseo said.

"Teseo!" Gunvolt growled at the Eden Adept.

"More like Teseo 2.0! #UPGRADE #REVENGE"

"How about #GVgonnakickyourass instead?!" Joule retorted.

"Ok, never expected you to say that, Joule." Gunvolt sweatdropped.

"Considering what he did to the both of us last time, I'm not gonna let that go. The one including Beck too."

"...Good point there."

As the fight begins, Teseo used his Septima as he typed down some keys with his holographic keyboard on the two large data bits and created a few small Eden drones and some bombs to hunt down Gunvolt. However, Gunvolt easily destroyed the drones and evaded the bombs while damaging Teseo with his gun and his Flashfield. Teseo then used the large data bits to fire two large blue pixel lasers called the **Bug Death Lasers** towards Gunvolt in a clockwise pattern as Gunvolt then dodged the lasers in response.

"You came all the way to my actual house for this?" Teseo asked as he then fired missile attacks which are generated by several small green spinning wheel bits. "For reals? Stalker alert."

"You can't distract me, Teseo." Gunvolt replied while he was dodging and destroying the missiles while attacking Teseo.

"Nah dude. I'd rather just kick your ass, TBH. You might have beaten Teseo 1.0 #CHEAPSHOT but... Teseo 2.0 runs on much better hardware."

"GV won't ever lose to you!" Joule retorted. "...Er, right, GV?"

"That's right." Gunvolt nodded. "Too many people are depending on me."

"Oh man, this is just like one of my animes." Teseo said. "Except this is the type where the hero dies. Share or like if you agree. Let's make this go viral!"

"Sorry Teseo, but this hero is still gonna win." Gunvolt then launched a few Dragonspheres towards Teseo and exploded into a Crashbolt, damaging Teseo in the process.

Then Teseo teleported above Gunvolt and used the small spinning wheel bits to unleash a green data laser rain called **Circuit Rain** towards Gunvolt. Gunvolt backdashed away from the right data rain, forward dash away from the left data rain, and then jumped high from the middle to evade both sides of the data rain. And then while still in the air, Gunvolt unleashed a Crashbolt that damaged Teseo from above. Teseo quickly teleported a few metres away from Gunvolt after the attack as Teseo is getting exhausted.

"OK, That's it. U Go Bye Bye!" Teseo declared as he teleported above Gunvolt, typed in a few keys and unleashed his trump card.

"**Impregnable Fortress!"**

"GV, I better start singing so you can finish this fight immediately!" Joule suggested.

"Alright Joule, go for it!" Gunvolt replied as Joule began to sing her song.

**(Plays BGM: Reincarnation Alternative by Joule)**

As Joule is singing her song, Gunvolt is enveloped with a glowing blue aura around himself as it granted him enhanced strength, defence and speed. Teseo then summons dozens of his large spinning bits and makes a circle with them, trapping Gunvolt within the circle. He then proceeds to spin the circle while dropping bombs towards Gunvolt as he used his Flashfield to block the bombs. Teseo then creates some platforms around the arena, and fired multiple simultaneous Bug Death Lasers outward as he shrinks the circle. Gunvolt got out of the circle and used the platforms to evade the lasers, attacked Teseo with his gun and Flashfield, and then went back inside the circle. Teseo opens up the circle as he stops the lasers, but ends the attack with one more volley of bombs inward, but Gunvolt used his Flashfield again to block the bombs easily. As Teseo is about to teleport again, Gunvolt yelled, "Sorry, but no more teleporting for you!"

"**Voltaic Chains!"** Gunvolt summons several large chains that surrounded and trapped the shocked Teseo inside, preventing him from moving and then Gunvolt electrocuted the chains, damaging Teseo even further and screamed in pain. Then Gunvolt jumped high and shouted, **"Astrasphere!" **as he unleashed a large electrical sphere around himself along with three small electrical orbs circling around the large sphere, rushed towards the still trapped Teseo, and collided towards him with the full force of the Astrasphere, electrocuting Teseo even further, ending with a large blue electrical explosion. As the explosion subsided, Gunvolt landed safely onto the floor with small pink mirror shards from above, falling across the arena.

"Stream's over, Teseo." Gunvolt concluded as he stood up.

**(BGM End)**

"Great job, GV!" Joule smiled.

"Thanks, same to you too, Joule." Gunvolt smiled back. "Hope to gacking god we don't ever deal with his cyber shenanigans again."

"Yeah, me too. I really had enough of his trolling." Joule sighed. "Though I wonder how our friend Beck is doing right now? You think he'll be ok?"

"I'm sure he'll do just fine. If anything can bring peace back to his world, it's him." Gunvolt replied.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Joule smiled as she and Gunvolt began to disappear, teleporting them back to the Main Boss Room.

* * *

**Copen's Path**

Copen was teleported to a large arena and then he saw a familiar purple Adept right in front of him. It was none other than Ghauri, the same Adept Copen fought during his first mission at the Highway Area.

"_Oh crap, here we go again..."_ Copen thought and mentally groaned at the fact that he had to deal with this crazy, dancing and rhyming annoyance again. Doesn't help the fact that he hated Ghauri's rhymes to no end.

"Yo, mac! I'm back on the attack like a whack flak jak! You're on my turf, so it's time to get nerfed!" Ghauri said in rhyme.

"Nerf THIS!" Copen fired his gun at Ghauri as he skated towards Copen and evaded his laser shots. Then Ghauri created and launched a few crystal balls as he then jumped and performed a spinning heel kick towards Copen, but Copen managed to jump over him, performed a Bullit Dash onto Ghauri which tagged him, and fired his gun at the crystal balls while the attack bits fired homing lasers at the tagged Ghauri, staggering him back a few steps and damaging his armor in the process.

After Ghauri regained his composure, he then created a small prism in front of him and then launched it with a kick as the prism is headed towards Copen. Copen then jumped over the prism and fired some more gun shots along with the attack bits firing homing lasers at the still tagged Ghauri, knocking him back a few steps.

"Crack pack flack in a back sack! Quack quack?" Ghauri rhymed at random while he recovered.

"What the, that doesn't even make any sense!" Copen exclaimed and confused at what Ghauri just said.

"You think I'm a freak who can't speak? So bleak. I'll put you in the dirt and use the grave to take a leak!" Ghauri rhymed as he unleashed his Prism Strike by creating a prism and kicked it towards Copen.

"Stop it! Stop it right now!" Copen covered his ears with his hands from hearing more of Ghauri's bad rhyming while dodging his Prism Strike.

"You wanna zip my lip when this battle's getting hip?" Ghauri rhymed again as he then unleashed his Prism Break by creating a larger prism and kicked it towards Copen as the prism breaks into small shards. Copen was able to dodge the prism shards, but Ghauri's constant rhyming is making it difficult for Copen to counterattack.

"_Rhymes... so bad... c-can't... focus..."_ Copen thought as he can't fight well because of Ghauri's horrible rhyming.

"Maybe this will help you, Boss!" Lola began to transform into her Idol Form and sang her song to help Copen focus better.

**(Plays BGM: Igniter by Lola)**

As Lola is singing her song, Copen is enveloped with a glowing blue aura around himself as it granted him enhanced strength, defence and speed.

"Phew...much better." Copen sighed in relief. "Thanks, Lola!"

"No problem, Boss!" Lola replied. "Now go kick his butt!"

Copen boost dashed towards Ghauri as he was performing his Prism Break again, but Copen broke through the Prism Break with his Twintail Bunker Ex Weapon as it drilled through the prism and struck Ghauri's chest, forcefully knocking him back to the ground and his armor damaged.

Ghauri slowly stood up while still in pain and said, "Ok no more games, let's see you go up in flames!"

"**Prism Prisma Prison!"**

Ghauri jumped high and created three large prismatic pillars and dropped them onto Copen to trap him. As Copen was trapped, the prisms glowed and fired lasers towards him.

"Hah! Like that's gonna stop me!" Copen scoffed as he was dodging the lasers. "Let my drills pierce through your prison!" Copen then did a Bullit Dash onto one the glowing prisms, tagging them before it was fired and then used Twintail Bunker to drill through the prism pillars, breaking them into small pieces. He did the same thing to the other pillars until all of them are destroyed.

"Ah! My prism prison!" Ghauri exclaimed in shock.

"Consider this your last rhyme! **Shred Storm!**" Copen declared as he commanded the attack bits to strike down Ghauri in blinding speeds, ending with a three-line slash, making Ghauri scream in pain. But Copen was not done yet as he boost dashed above Ghauri, dropped down and unleashed his Twintail Bunker one more time as he collided with Ghauri, drilling through his chest and left a large hole, ending with Copen landing below him. Ghauri let out a final scream as he was turned into a pink mirror, and then it shattered to small pieces.

**(BGM End)**

"Thank gacking god it's over." Copen sighed in relief and smiled at Lola. "Thanks again for the help, Lola. I owe you one."

"Aww...it was nothing, Boss!" Lola smiled, while trying to hide a small blush on her face.

"Wait...did I see you blush just now?" Copen asked with curiosity.

"Eh?! N-No you didn't! You're just imagining things!" Lola quickly waved it off.

"Whatever you say, Lola." Copen shrugged as he and Lola started to disappear, teleporting them back to the Main Boss Room.

* * *

**Zi-O's Path**

Zi-O was teleported to an arena as he pondered, "Now then, who am I gonna fight this time?"

He got his answer as he looked up and saw a familiar floating red Adept waiting for him. It was Gibril, the same Adept Gunvolt fought during his mission at the Mysterious Manor, while Copen, Geiz and Serena fought a clone of Gibril back at the Sewers.

"Damn it, I was expecting to fight Gunvolt instead." Gibril complained. "Now I gotta deal with this guy who looks like a human watch?"

"Hey, I don't mind this armor." Zi-O replied. "If you wanna complain, take it to the ones who made this armor in the first place. Also, sorry but Gunvolt is fighting another Adept instead, so you'll have to wait in line."

"Doesn't help the fact that you looked like that other human watch that called me a kid!" Gibril growled.

"What other human watch? Oh right, Geiz." Zi-O realised, and then his face went pale as he knew what's coming up next. _"Gaius, what the hell did you say to her?"_

"Guess I'll take my anger on you first before I deal with him!" Gibril declared as she fired small blood orbs towards Zi-O. As he was dodging the orbs, Gibril created more blood orbs, transformed them into steel axes and launched them towards Zi-O. Zi-O quickly dodged the axes and fired shots and charged shots from the Zikan Gilade Zyu Mode, damaging Gibril's armor and making her mad.

"Ugh, you're not half bad. I better get up close and personal then!" Gibril landed on the floor, purged off her outer armor and equipped her energy claws.

"Tch, Cast Off...this is gonna get ugly." Zi-O muttered at Gibril's new form as he switched his Zikan Gilade to Ken Mode.

Gibril rushed towards Zi-O and performed several slashes with her claws as he blocked and dodged her attacks. Zi-O countered back with a few slashes and kicks to Gibril, knocking her back a few steps. Gibril growled in anger as she unleashed a large shockwave towards Zi-O with a charged upward slash of her claw. Zi-O managed to sidestep away from the shockwave as Gibril then rushed towards Zi-O again with her claws. Zi-O countered with a side slash, but it was only an illusion as the real Gibril attacked from above with her claws. Zi-O managed to sidestep away from the attack and countered with several slashes to her armor from her left side, finishing it off with a roundhouse kick to her face, knocking her to the ground a few steps back. As she slowly stood up, she growled at Zi-O until she noticed something on her lip, it was her blood.

"You...SON OF A BITCH!" Gibril snapped at Zi-O for making her bleed.

"Aww...what's the matter? Crying over a small blood loss?" Zi-O quipped. "Maybe you really ARE a kid after all."

"...THAT'S IT! YOU'RE DEAD NOW! **Iron Maiden!**" Gibril yelled as she summoned her Iron Maiden and went inside as the Iron Maiden pierced through her body when the door closed. Then lots of blood came pouring around the Iron Maiden until it exploded, revealing a very pissed off Gibril in a glowing blood red aura.

"...Maybe I should've kept my mouth shut." Zi-O muttered, starting to sweat a bit and felt nervous. But he still needs to stop her if he's ever going to reach Zonda and Mytyl.

Gibril created a large cage around her and Zi-O as she began to jump all over the cage, leaving behind some blood liquid along the way. When Gibril stopped jumping, she materialised the blood into large spikes as it extended towards Zi-O. Zi-O quickly dodged the spikes and thought, _"I better wait for her to get exhausted first, then I can deliver the final blow."_

Zi-O was able to dodge her constant attacks until she stopped at the top of the cage and materialised the blood liquids to steel spikes towards Zi-O again, but he quickly dodged them again. Then Gibril fell to the floor from the top of the cage, completely exhausted from using her Septima as she slowly stood up and stared towards Zi-O.

"Go ahead...finish me already...I'm...done for..." Gibril slowly panted from exhaustion as Zi-O slowly walked towards Gibril and stopped in front of her.

"Very well, if that's your wish." Zi-O responded as he...gently touched Gibril's forehead with his finger? That surprised Gibril, she thought he was going to finish her with his final attack.

Then Zi-O started to count down as Gibril is slowly turning into a pink mirror.

"5..."

"4..."

"3..."

"2..."

"1..."

After the count of one, she was completely turned into a mirror. And then as Zi-O's about to break the mirror with a finger flick, he finished with, "Zero."

'_**Crack!'**_

After the finger flick, the mirror shattered into small pieces, leaving no trace of Gibril.

"Time's up, Gibril. Consider this a mercy kill." Zi-O concluded as he started to disappear, teleporting him back to the Main Boss Room.

* * *

**Geiz's Path**

Geiz was teleported to another arena as he then saw a familiar Adept from before. It was Asroc, along with his robot puppet, Galette Krone. The same enemies Copen fought during his mission at the Old Waste-Processing Plant.

"Well well well, look who it is." Geiz greeted. "It's the bastards who kidnapped Copen's sister, Mytyl. I might aswell do him a small favor by kicking both of your asses."

"Hm...I know you." Asroc spoke. "You're the one I saw back at the Highway Area. Care to witness the brilliance of my masterpiece?"

"Personally, I think your masterpiece is a bit too raw for my taste." Geiz replied with his arms crossed.

"You dare mock my creation with your foul words, primitive?!" Asroc retorted. "Me and my creation are in perfect harmony! You will burn into ashes with our burning passion!"

"Is that so?" Geiz raised his eyebrow from inside the helmet. "Well then, let's make this interesting so it doesn't become a handicap match."

Geiz activated the Legatus from his left wrist as it opened up, and then launched the Legion Cube in front of Geiz as it materialised into the Axe Legion, equipped with its large axe along with the astral chain connecting from the Legion's neck to Geiz's cuff gauntlet from his left wrist.

Asroc was surprised as he then asked, "What is that abomination?"

"This 'abomination' happens to be my partner, the Axe Legion." Geiz replied as he and the Axe Legion began his battle stance while Geiz equipped his Zikan Zax. "Now then, let's see who's teamwork has the better chemistry, Asroc."

"Hmph, very well." Asroc replied as he began to command Galette Krone to fight. "By the time we are done with you, you'll learn that you should've stayed away from my kitchen!"

The fight begins with Asroc and Galette Krone launching two orange chakrams towards Geiz and the Legion. Geiz and Legion blocked the chakrams with their weapons and then reflected the chakrams back to Asroc and Galette, however they managed to dodge the chakrams. Next, Asroc commanded Galette to jump and fire machine gun bullets from its fingers aimed towards Geiz and Legion. Geiz jumped high to evade the bullets and quickly sent the Legion to fly to the air and intercept Galette, attacking the robot with several axe strikes. Then the Axe Legion pulled the chain as Geiz is flying towards the Legion, then the two attacked Galette together with several axe strikes, finishing the combo with a hard double axe strike that knocked back Galette towards Asroc, crashing on top of him with a large impact.

Geiz and Legion landed safely on the ground as Geiz taunted Asroc, "Is that all you got, Asroc? This is what I mean by 'raw'."

Asroc pushed Galette away to the side as he and the robot slowly stood up. "Ugh...we're not done yet! This meal is far from over!" Asroc growled in anger.

"Keep going, we're ready for seconds!" Geiz replied as he and the Axe Legion taunted Asroc with a hand signal that says, 'Just bring it'.

That pissed off Asroc as he commanded Galette Krone to perform a spin-dash towards Geiz and Legion in high-speed. Geiz and Legion quickly evaded the attack as Galette rolled past them. Then Galette did a U-turn and rolled towards Geiz and Legion again but the attack was quickly evaded again. Then Galette Krone did another U-turn and rolled towards Geiz and Legion once more, but this time, Geiz and the Axe Legion jumped on opposite sides, materialised the astral chain and pulled the opposite ends of the chains as Galette was caught by the chain, unable to stop rolling and moving forward, getting a shocked reaction from Asroc. Then Geiz and the Axe Legion used the chain to launch Galette Krone towards Asroc like a fast slingshot, crashing him with the robot into a nearby wall with a large impact.

"Come on, Asroc! I know you can cook a lot better than this!" Geiz taunted as he and the Axe Legion did a fist-bump to each other for their great teamwork.

Asroc kicked away Galette Krone to escape as he grit his teeth in anger for Geiz's taunt. "How dare you insult me and my culinary art, you primitive!" Asroc exclaimed.

"Then why do you keep getting your ass kicked by your own meal?" Geiz asked. "If this keeps happening to you, then something is definitely wrong with your cooking."

"Be...SILENT!" Asroc yelled as he commanded Galette Krone to jump and performed a powerful punch to the ground that sent several flying flames towards Geiz and Legion. The Axe Legion floated in front of Geiz and created a blue barrier surrounding them as it blocked with its large axe and protecting them from the flames.

"What?!" Asroc was shocked that the flames did nothing to Geiz and Legion, thanks to its barrier. "How can you control it to block Galette's attack?!"

"Actually, I didn't control it." Geiz explained. "The Axe Legion did it on its own. I trust my Legion because I treated it as a partner and a friend, therefore having a stronger bond. Unlike you who treated your creations as tools like total raw junk. It's no wonder Copen and Lola roasted your asses so easily."

"Why do you keep telling me that it's raw?!" Asroc growled again.

"Simple, because it's true."

Asroc officially reached his boiling point that he wanted Geiz and his Legion incinerated into an inferno. "Galette Krone, we are incinerating them in a glorious blaze of flames!" Asroc commanded his robot to perform their trump card.

"**Amuse-Bouche!"**

Galette Krone then jumped up and broke apart into several parts of the body as the pieces floated around Geiz and the Axe Legion.

"Alright partner, watch the patterns closely and then begin the counterattack!" Geiz adviced the Legion as it nodded in response.

First, Galette's head fired a laser as it sweeps across the floor with explosions. Geiz and the Legion quickly jumped high to evade the explosions. Next, Galette's legs materialized orange energy blades and began to slash Geiz and the Legion. Geiz and the Legion quickly blocked the blades with their weapons but then Galette's shoulder chakrams quickly flew towards them. Geiz and Legion quickly responded by knocking the leg blades back towards the chakrams, striking them and sent the pieces falling to the ground. Geiz and the Legion landed safely on the ground until they saw Galette's arms above them as the arms began to quickly fall towards them fist first. Geiz and the Legion quickly jumped away from the arms attack range as the arms missed and impacted the ground with explosions. But then above Geiz and the Legion was the main body of Galette Krone as it began to quickly drop towards them. In response, Geiz quickly sent the Legion a few metres away and then the Legion quickly pulled the chain which sent Geiz flying towards and landing right next to the Legion. Galette's body impacted the ground leaving a big explosion, but it's no use since Geiz and the Legion are away from its attack range.

After that, all the parts from Galette Krone combined back into its normal form. But just as Galette is about to jump back towards Asroc..., "Now!" Geiz commanded the Axe Legion to quickly go around the robot in a circle as the astral chain materialized solid. When the Legion crossed the chain line after making the circle, Galette Krone was subdued as an astral chain was binded around its body, held by four astral chains from the ground, halting its movements.

"Huh?! What did you do to my creation, you primitives?!" Asroc exclaimed in shock at their unexpected counterattack.

"The answer is simple, Asroc." Geiz explained. "You're pretty much powerless without your main dish. And with that out of the way..." Geiz then unchained the Axe Legion by breaking the astral chain with a swipe of his left arm, leaving the Legion to do as it wishes. Geiz then pointed his finger towards Asroc as Geiz then simply told the Legion, "Go kick his ass."

The Axe Legion roared as it dashed towards Asroc and assaulted him with several strong axe strikes, hurting him and damaging his armor in the process.

While the Axe Legion continued its assault on Asroc, Geiz then declared, "Time to permanently close this kitchen with a Finish Time!" Geiz then pushed the button on the Ridewatch, slammed the tilt button on the belt and then turned it 360.

**FINISH TIME!**

Geiz then jumped high and then thrust his right leg forward with its energy fully charged on his right foot. The Axe Legion finished its assault on Asroc with a powerful upward axe strike that sent Asroc skyward and into Geiz's attack range.

**TIME BURST!**

Geiz's charged right foot then collided with Asroc's chest, leaving a mark that says 'Kick' in kakatana. And then Geiz used his right foot again to knock back Asroc, sending him crashing to the ground with a large impact, along with a big explosion. As Geiz safely landed onto the ground, several small mirror shards scattered around the arena due to the explosion caused by Geiz's Time Burst.

"And that's the end of the buffet." Geiz finished as he slowly stood up and dusted off his hands, confirming the end of Asroc. "Great teamwork, partner." Geiz then gave the Axe Legion a thumbs up as the Axe Legion nodded in response, and then disappeared back into the Legatus.

As Geiz looked at the Legatus, he can't help thinking about something, _"Hmm...I wonder if we might eventually go to the Astral Chain world someday? If that's the case, then the Astral Plane might exist too. I dread to think that the other worlds or multiverse might open up portals to the Astral Plane. If so...then I wonder how the other dimensional teams would deal with them if they came across them unexpectedly?"_ Geiz then shook his head and thought, _"No, now's not the time to be thinking about hypothetical events yet. I'll figure it out when the time comes."_ Geiz then started to disappear as he was then teleported back to the Main Boss Room.

* * *

**Kanade's Path**

Kanade was then teleported to another large arena, and as she was looking around, she then saw a male Adept looking towards her. He had black eyes with pink irises and pale pink hair, wears black and white armour with pink highlights, and wields a white trident, with the two side prongs being black and pink. He also has harps attached to his hips.

"So, you are to be my opponent instead." The Adept spoke. "I've never met someone like you before, especially since you're a woman. What is your name?"

"It's Kanade Amou." Kanade introduced herself. "And you are...?"

"My name is Milas, wielder of the 'Ichor' Septima, the power to control all liquids." The Adept named Milas replied. "That's an impressive spear you wield. Tis' a shame we are on opposite sides."

"Thanks, your trident looks good too." Kanade replied back. "Though why does someone like you chose to join Eden? You look pretty laid back to me."

"There is a reason for that, Kanade." Milas explained. "You see, I love the ocean more than anything else in this world. But it's because of those filthy humans that the ocean continues to be polluted for selfish reasons. It's my life's work to preserve the world's oceans from them. That's why I joined Eden to help exterminate the human race so that the ocean can finally be free of filth."

Kanade sighed in response and said, "You really are an idiot, you know that?"

"What makes you think that, human?" Milas frowned at the insult.

"Yeah, you're right about most humans polluting the ocean for no reason at all." Kanade admitted. "However, committing genocide is never the right answer. I'm sure there's some humans that still wanna save the ocean. At least give them another chance."

"...I'm sorry, Kanade. But my patience has already run out. This is the only way for me to fulfill my dream of a free ocean. If Eden were to create a utopia in the process, then so be it!" Milas declared as he twirled his trident and began his battle stance.

"Then let's see which is stronger, your dream or my resolve." Kanade replied as she also twirled her spear, began her battle stance and started singing her song.

**(Plays BGM: Gyakkō no Resolve by Kanade Amou)**

Both fighters then rushed towards each other as their weapons clashed in a power struggle. Kanade began with a sideways spear strike, but Milas quickly dodged the attack by jumping backwards. Then Milas performed a leaping trident stab towards Kanade, she was able to dodge it by jumping backwards but then noticed something that is about to shoot out from her landing spot. So she stabbed her spear to the ground and launched herself into the air like a pole vault as the ground then shot out a large two-pronged spear of water, just barely missing Kanade as she then performed her **POWER∞SHINE** by slashing the air with her spear, unleashing a shockwave towards Milas that struck him back a few steps.

As Kanade landed onto the ground, Milas then planted his trident on the ground and then dashed towards Kanade, generating behind large sprays of water. Kanade quickly jumped over Milas with a front flip as he dashed through, and then she dodged over him again with a back flip when he dashed at her again. Milas then unleashed some water tornadoes towards Kanade, she was able to dodge them but was caught by that last water tornado, trapping her inside. Seeing his chance, Milas threw his Harp Boomerang towards the trapped Kanade, but she managed to escape by pointing her spear downward and then performing her **LAST∞METEOR** by unleashing a large red tornado that sent her launching into the air and escaping Milas' water tornado and the Harp Boomerang. That shocked Milas wondering how she was able to escape his water tornado, but then Kanade retaliated with her **SATURN∞BREAK** by stabbing the ground and unleashing an earthquake towards Milas, damaging him and breaking pieces of his armor.

"Ugh...I may have underestimated you, Kanade." Milas said while he was slowly recovering. "You're not too bad for a human."

"I'll take that compliment then, Milas." Kanade replied and grinned. "You're not too bad yourself. In fact, I'm starting to enjoy this fight!"

"Then let's keep going till one of us falls!" Milas declared with a grin as he jumped into the air, equipped his Harp Boomerang and created a few water orbs by strumming his harp. The water orbs then fired water lasers towards Kanade as she quickly dodged them. Milas strummed his harp again, changing the water orbs' locations and then the orbs fired the water lasers again as Kanade quickly dodged the lasers again. Milas then threw his Harp Boomerang towards Kanade, but she countered by performing her **POWER∞SHINE** by slashing the air creating a shockwave and towards the Harp Boomerang, striking it and was sent back to Milas as he then caught it. Milas then planted his trident to the ground and began to dash towards Kanade as she stood her ground. As Milas was about to collide with Kanade, she quickly used her spear to stab onto his chest which surprised him as he was expecting her to jump over him. While Milas was still being stabbed on the chest, Kanade performed her **STAB∞METEOR** by unleashing a powerful red tornado which forcefully sent him flying into the air and slammed to the arena ceiling. When the tornado subsided, he fell to the ground with an impact.

As Milas slowly stood up, he muttered, "What...power...Are you sure you're human?"

"This is the power of a Symphogear, Milas." Kanade answered as she twirled her spear and then pointed it towards Milas. "I think it's time we end this fight."

"Heh, for once...I agree!" Milas smirked as he began strumming his harp to perform his trump card.

"**Aqua Avatar!"**

As Milas strummed his harp, it created three water currents above the arena. After he finished strumming his harp, he jumped up and dived into one of the water currents. As Kanade prepared her battle stance, a water clone of Milas jumped out of the water currents and is about to stab her from above with his trident. She quickly dodged the attack as the water clone stabbed the ground, creating a large water trident from below Kanade. She managed to evade the water trident, but then another water clone jumped out of the water currents and did the same attack as the first water clone. After Kanade evaded the second and eventually the third water clone attack, the real Milas appeared out of nowhere as he quickly dashed towards her. As Milas was about to collide with Kanade, she quickly charged up her spear and did a powerful stab through his chest, piercing through him. Milas grunted in pain as the spear was pierced through his body.

**(BGM End)**

"So...this is your resolve...huh?" Milas muttered while still in pain.

"You may be an Adept, but you still have some humanity inside of you." Kanade replied. "Personally, saving the ocean is a good thing. Without it, the world would be nothing but a desert."

"So...you understood what I'm trying to do..." Milas said.

"Yeah, but joining Eden will not solve your problems." Kanade explained. "Most humans make mistakes, but that doesn't mean they can't learn from it. Besides, Adepts are still human on the inside, right?"

Those words from Kanade made Milas have small smile on his face at her resolve.

"Then do me a favor...and don't make...the same mistakes...as...I...did..." Milas muttered his last words to Kanade as he turned into a pink mirror and then shattered into small pieces. Kanade sighed as she kneels down and picked up a small piece of Milas' mirror.

"Don't worry, I won't make those mistakes." Kanade said as she clenched the mirror shard she is holding. After a few moments, Kanade stood up as she slowly starts to disappear, teleporting her back to the Main Boss Room.

* * *

**Serena's Path**

Serena was now teleported to an area as she walked forward and looked around to find one of the Eden Adepts. Eventually she stopped as she then saw a female Adept in front of her. She has black eyes with bright yellow irises, with thin, matching bright yellow hair. She wears slender black and gray armour, with yellow areas on her cleavage, neck, and feet. She also has a large hoop attached to the back of her head, which sprouts four long, ribbon-like pieces of hair.

Serena was surprised to see such a beautiful woman with amazing hair working alongside Eden. The female Adept then spoke, "Who are you, young one?"

"Serena. Serena Cadenzavna Eve." Serena introduced herself. "Are you one of the Seven Eden Adepts?"

"I am." Desna nodded. "My name is Desna, one who possesses the 'Splitting Ends' Septima, which allows me to control the seemingly limitless supply of my phantasmagorical hair.

"So, you use your hair as a weapon?" Serena guessed.

"That is correct." Desna answered. "Now then, what brings someone so young to The Garden? Are you here to join our cause? I sense much power coming from you."

"Forgive me, but I'm here to defeat you. I have to stop Zonda from conquering this world." Serena replied.

"I see." Desna sighed in disappointment. "Do you know why I chose to join Eden? It was a message from the stars, to guide the oppressed Adepts. Most of Eden revered me as an Oracle or a Goddess for my fortune telling. Maybe I can guide you towards the correct path."

"Sorry, Desna." Serena shook her head as she equipped her Armed Gear and prepared her battle stance. "But my path is mine to decide. My friends are counting on me to win and I will not let Zonda conquer this world, even if I have to go through you first!"

"So, this is your decision..." Desna sighed, and then went serious as she prepared her battle stance. "Then I will not hold back, even for a child! Prepare to face the Goddess of Eden, Serena!"

"Get ready, Desna! Listen to my song!" Serena declared as she began singing her song.

**(Plays BGM: Dareka no Tame no Hikari by Serena Cadenzavna Eve)**

As the battle begins, Desna quickly dashed towards Serena and attacked her with her long blonde hair extensions. Serena quickly dodged and blocked her attacks with her knife untill both her and Desna jumped back a few steps away from each other. Then Desna flipped her hair as some of her split-off hairs created several small drill-like missiles and launched them towards Serena. Serena responded by using her Armed Gear to create more knives and threw them towards the missiles and Desna. The knives destroyed the drill missiles but Desna jumped up to evade the knives and dashed towards Serena to attack with her hair again. However Serena jumped away from Desna's attack with a backflip, turned her knife into a sword while still in the air, stabbed the ground with her sword after she landed to the ground as the sword generated light energy on the ground, then thrust her hand towards Desna as the light energy on the ground quickly traveled towards Desna, striking her from below with a blast of light energy.

**SILKY†RAY**

Desna started panting since she took plenty of damage from Serena's attack, so she then used her hair extensions to make it spin into a large tornado, which forced Serena to pull towards the tornado like a strong vacuum. Serena used her hands to quickly grab the handle tightly while the sword is still stuck onto the ground to stop herself from being pulled into the tornado. After a while the tornado stopped, Serena pulled out the sword from the ground, only for her to notice that Desna had disappeared after the attack. Serena looked around the arena for Desna, until she looked up and saw something above quickly coming towards her. It was Desna using her hair extensions to form large drills to crush Serena. Serena quickly jumped away from the attack as Desna crushed the ground instead and then disappeared. Then Desna tried to crush Serena from above again with her hair drills as Serena quickly responded by jumping away from the attack again with Desna crushing the ground again instead and then disappearing. Serena quickly looked around and above the arena for Desna just in case she tries to attack her again. But then a few metres behind Serena, Desna dropped down from above with her hair drills and crushed the ground, as it created large drills coming from the ground and travelling towards Serena. Serena jumped away from the drills and dashed towards Desna with Serena preparing to attack again, but then Desna used her hair to block her attacks and knocked Serena back a few steps with her landing on her feet on the ground. Then Desna began to use her hair extensions again to create another large tornado, forcing Serena to pull towards the tornado.

_"This tornado again..."_ Serena muttered in her thoughts while she stood her ground to avoid being pulled towards the tornado Desna created. _"There has to be an opening to counterattack and stop her tornado...Unless..."_ Then Serena slowly realised as she looked at the top of the tornado, there was nothing blocking the top of the tornado, she found the opening she was looking for. _"Alright, here goes nothing!" _While Serena stood her ground, she charged up her Armed Gear knife and threw it into the air and above the top of the tornado, then the knife quickly descended on top of Desna, striking her with a large impact explosion which then stopped the tornado she created.

**XANA†TEARS**

As the dust started to clear off, Serena then saw an exhausted Desna who is trying to recover from the counterattack Serena caused.

"Ugh...I never thought you'd find a way to counter my tornado." Desna muttered while slowly recovering.

"Every attack has an opening, including your tornado." Serena replied while still on guard.

"I see...then you will have the honor to witness my final trump card!" Desna declared as she began to charge up her Septima for her final trump card.

**"Entangled Strands!"**

Desna then jumped high, closed her eyes and used her hair extensions to stretch all over the arena, along with hair drills on the ceiling. Then Desna, who is still hanging in the air with her hair extensions, used her hair to capture Serena from below the ground. Serena quickly dodged the attacks by dashing and jumping, but not too high to get hit by the hair drills on the ceiling. The pattern goes on for a few times untill Desna created a larger tornado from below the ground with her hair that covered a large portion of the arena. Serena quickly jumped away from the attack radius and stood her ground to prevent herself from being sucked into the large tornado. After the trump card ended, Desna retracted all of her hair extensions and landed on her feet. But when she opened her eyes... "Huh? Where did she go?!" Desna was shocked that Serena somehow disappeared on sight! Desna quickly looked around the arena for Serena but when she looked up, it was too late as she then saw Serena throwing her knife from above and onto Desna's chest with a strong impact explosion.

**GNOME†TRIAL**

As Serena landed on the ground, she was not done yet as she then threw two of her knives above Desna one after the other. Then the knives circle around each other, creating a large energy circle which then unleashed multiple raining light arrows onto Desna and taking heavy damage that not even she can recover from.

**IGNIS†FATUUS**

**(BGM End)**

After the attack ended, Serena then saw a really exhausted Desna on her knees as she was gasping for air along with her Grimoire armour completely damaged and cracked. "Impossible...me...defeated...?" Desna muttered while still in pain. "What...what is that power...?"

"This...is the power of a Symphogear." Serena answered as she then closed her eyes placed her hand onto her chest. "May you rest in peace, Desna."

With Serena's last words spoken, Desna collapsed to the ground as she was then turned into a pink mirror and then shattered into many pieces, Serena had defeated Desna.

As Serena opened her eyes and looked up with her hand still on her chest, she said, "Maria? We'll reunite again soon, but right now, I have unfinished business to take care of. So please, wait for a while longer, ok?" After Serena finished, she slowly started to disappear, teleporting her back to the Main Boss Room.

* * *

**Main Boss Room**

With the remaining Revived Seven defeated, the six heroes was then teleported back to the Main Boss Room as the final grey mirror in the center of the room then turned into a pink mirror. The final door has been opened. Everyone was relieved to see each other again in one piece.

"Great job, everyone." Gunvolt spoke to the other heroes. "Looks like you all managed to win your fights solo."

"Granted me and Gunvolt fought some of the Eden Adepts before." Copen added. "But still, you did well."

"Thanks guys." Zi-O replied. "So, who did you guys fought?"

"I had to fight Teseo again." Gunvolt replied back. "That troll has been a thorn on my side since I met him back at the Data Facility."

"A thorn on MY side too." Joule appeared and sighed. "He trapped me, GV, and a friend from another world in his twisted Virtual Reality world too. And that was a few days after we destroyed him."

"A friend from another world, huh?" Kanade said. "Who is it?"

"Beck, also known as Mighty No. 9." Gunvolt answered, which made Zi-O and Geiz eyes wide open from inside their helmets.

("Beck? THAT Beck?!") Zi-O whispered to Geiz. ("Then that means...!")

("Yeah, Mighty Gunvolt Burst happened in this world too.") Geiz concluded while also whispering.

"I see. So is Beck an Adept or another human?" Serena asked Gunvolt.

"Actually he's a cyborg. Part-man, part-machine." Gunvolt replied. "And he's pretty strong too. Without him, we would never be able to escape Teseo's trap."

"Interesting. Hope we get to meet him someday." Copen said.

"Yeah, me too." Gunvolt smiled. "So anyway, who did you fought, Copen?"

"Ghauri."

That made Zi-O, Kanade and Gunvolt groan in annoyance. They really hated that guy, especially his rhyming. Though Serena is somewhat confused why the other heroes groaned at the mention of Ghauri.

"Um, is something wrong with that Adept?" Serena asked.

Geiz put his hand on Serena's shoulder and adviced, "Serena, some things are better left not knowing..." Geiz knew who Ghauri was, so it's best left to keep quiet about it. Including his annoying rhymes.

"O...kay...?" Serena tilted her head in confusion.

Zi-O then spoke, "As for me, well I had to fight Gibril. It was rough, but I managed to survive. Also she was really pissed off because of Geiz."

"Eheh, sorry you had to go through all that." Geiz sheepishly chuckled as he rubbed the back of his helmet with his hand.

_"Geiz, Copen, I told you not to insult her too much..."_ Serena thought and sweatdropped.

Then Geiz spoke,"Oh by the way, Copen, me and the Axe Legion did you a favor and beat the living crap out of Asroc and his robot puppet."

"Heh, nicely done." Copen responded with a smirk.

Serena then spoke, "Anyway, I managed to defeat a female Adept named Desna."

"Desna, huh?" Copen remembered his fight with that Adept during his mission at the Orbital Elevator.

"You fought her before, Copen?" Kanade asked. "How strong is she?"

"Yeah, her Septima turned her hair extensions into deadly weapons." Copen explained to Kanade, then he turned towards Serena. "Still, you did a good job defeating her, Serena."

"Thank you, Copen. I did my best." Serena smiled.

"Then that leaves..." Gunvolt began as everyone turned their attention towards Kanade.

"Yeah, I had to fight a water Adept named Milas." Kanade finished and sighed. "Though why did he have to join Eden? I know he wanted to save the ocean from pollution but...this is not the right way to go..."

Gunvolt placed his hand onto Kanade's shoulder and said, "It can't be helped, he was at his limit and made his choice. I know because I fought him before. The best way we could do is to not make the same mistakes as he did."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Kanade sighed in response. "Still, you managed to win despite your disadvantage?"

"I just had to look at another angle." Gunvolt replied with a smirk.

"Well either way, now that all of the revived Seven Eden Adepts are defeated, the final mirror has been activated." Lola informed the heroes. "Zonda and Mytyl are just beyond that mirror, I can sense it."

"Same for me too. Along with the final Septima Shard." Joule added.

"Well then, no turning back now. Is everybody ready?" Zi-O asked the heroes, with all of them nodded in response with serious determination on their faces. "Alright then, it's time to finally end this!"

"Hang on just a little longer, Mytyl. We're almost there!" Copen declared.

"Prepare yourself, Zonda. Because we're taking that Shard back!" Gunvolt also declared as he and the other heroes went inside the final mirror, teleporting them to their final destination where Zonda, Mytyl and the final Septima Shard awaits them. Their final battle will soon begin...

* * *

**Chapter 5: The Revived Seven**

**END**


	6. Chapter 6: Saviours

**Azure and Crimson**

**Chapter 6: Saviours**

* * *

_After the defeat of the revived Seven Adepts of Eden and entering through the final mirror portal, our heroes are on their way towards their final destination somewhere at the highest floor of The Garden, where Zonda and Mytyl are located. But unknown to the heroes, Zonda's plan is very close to completion and time is almost up..._

"This is it, guys. We're almost there." Zi-O informed the group as they ran along the final hallway, hoping to find Zonda and Mytyl at the end.

"This should lead us to where we need to go." Geiz added.

"I hope so, Mytyl's waiting for us." Copen said.

"Along with Zonda as well." Gunvolt added.

"We went though a lot of trouble to make it this far." Kanade said.

"Just push through a bit more and this will finally be over." Serena said untill she saw something at a distance. "Ah, I see a door straight ahead!"

"Alright team, let's move!" Zi-O declared as the group went through the door leading to the next room. And inside said room is a large arena.

"Now where are we?" Serena asked.

"Are you guys sure that this is the right way to Mytyl and Zonda?" Kanade asked the guys.

"Well I'm sure the last mirror portal we went through is the last one. So it should be the only way forward." Geiz stated.

_"Oh, I assure you, it's the correct way. The way towards oblivion."_

The heroes equipped their weapons and quickly turned their attention to the sound of footsteps walking towards them. It was revealed to be none other than the leader of Eden herself, Zonda.

"Zonda...!" Gunvolt and Copen growled at the one responsible for stealing Joule's powers and kidnapping Mytyl.

"Well well well, it's good to see you again, Gunvolt, Copen." Zonda ominously greeted. "When did you both decided to finally work together?"

"Let's just say are goals are the same." Gunvolt answered as he and Copen pointed their guns at Zonda.

"And there's no way in hell you're keeping both of them." Copen added.

"I see." Zonda responded before she turned to the other heroes. "And you must be the ones helping them? I was hoping you would join Eden instead."

"Us? Joining you? No gacking chance in hell considering that you're planning to exterminate humanity." Zi-O retorted back.

Zi-O and Geiz knew what Zonda can do and what she looks like thanks to their video game knowledge back in their world. However, Kanade and Serena were surprised that Zonda, the leader of Eden, was a young girl.

"You're Zonda?" Kanade asked her. "I kinda expected you to look like a witch."

"Not only that, you look like the same age as I am..." Serena added.

"I'll take those as compliments. It does not matter what you all think of me." Zonda replied.

"Alright, enough talk. Give back Joule's powers at once!" Gunvolt demanded Zonda.

"And give back my sister as well!" Copen also demanded.

"Unfortunately, I refuse to accept both of your demands. They are essential for my plans and my survival." Zonda replied.

"And your plan is what, Zonda?" Zi-O asked in annoyance.

Zonda turned to Gunvolt and explained, "I'll start with you, Gunvolt. The reason I needed The Muse's powers. Do you remember Sumeragi's Diva Project? How they sought to use The Muse to control all Adepts? Not a bad plan... which is why I took it up myself."

"You're planning to enslave all Adepts?" Gunvolt guessed.

"Incorrect." Zonda answered. "I merely want to take The Muse's true power source and... well, you've already seen it. How The Muse amplifies an Adept's Septima? If I combine such a song with Sumeragi's technology... I'll reach all Adepts! Lead them to a new and better evolution! Even a few such Adepts could easily subjugate humanity!"

"So you're gonna declare war on anyone without a Septima? You're pretty sick and twisted, you know that?!" Kanade exclaimed.

"Adepts and Non-Adepts are already at war! They cannot coexist! We will show our enemies no love!" Zonda replied.

"That's when you're dead wrong, Zonda." Zi-O replied back. "Take a good look at us right now. We made it this far because we worked as a team. Five humans are helping one Adept to put an end to your ambition. Gunvolt may be an Adept, but he's still fighting to protect innocent people, and he has human friends back home wishing him luck. So I think it's safe to say that THIS is the right step for humans and Adepts to coexist with each other!"

"Zi-O..." Gunvolt and Copen whispered. Zi-O was right. Thanks to him and his friends, they were able to put their differences aside and work together to stop the one starting this conflict in the first place.

"Okay, you gave us Gunvolt's answer. Now tell us why you still needed Mytyl!" Lola demanded Zonda.

"Very well." Zonda nodded and turned to Copen. "The reason I need Mytyl is that she is the key to obtaining the power of The Muse."

"What does The Muse have to do with my sister?" Copen asked.

"Do you not see how the Shards react to her presence?" Zonda asked back.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I found some data when I hacked into Sumeragi's records. Your sister was born with an enormously powerful Septima."

"What?!" Copen exclaimed in shock.

Zonda explained, "The power was too much for a child to contain. So your father, Dr. Kamizono, performed an operation to save her. He removed The Muse from her body. As a result, the poor girl lost her voice."

"Wait a moment... So you're saying that The Muse... was once Mytyl's Septima?!" Serena guessed in shock.

"Oh yes. A fact which Sumeragi eventually discovered. They transplanted Mytyl's Septima into a girl named Joule. She is the one who lost her form and merged with Gunvolt."

"WHAT?!" Everyone was shocked at the revelation, especially Gunvolt and Joule.

"Then that means... Joule's Septima was originally Mytyl's in the first place?!" Gunvolt exclaimed.

"That is correct, GV." Zonda answered. "I tried to isolate The Muse at Sumeragi, but failed each time. But when Mytyl is near, it seems to manifest itself. She is the key! The sacrifice required to build Eden!"

"You will not be sacrificing anyone! Not Joule and not Mytyl!" Serena exclaimed at Zonda with anger.

"There's no way you're getting way with this, Zonda!" Geiz added.

Copen turned to Gunvolt and asked, "I never thought my sister would be the one to give your friend Joule, The Muse Septima."

"Yeah. Honestly, I'm at a loss for words right now." Gunvolt admitted.

"There's no need to worry about me, GV, Copen." Joule assured. "The important thing right now is that we must defeat Zonda."

"Joule's right." Lola agreed. "So let's kick Zonda's butt, save Mytyl, get Joule's power back, and go home!"

Gunvolt nodded in agreement to Joule and Lola before he turned back to Copen and declared, "Let's finish this."

"Definitely." Copen nodded back in agreement as they turned to Zonda.

"Enough of this. I hope this gives you comfort as I kill all of you and take back the Shards." Zonda declared before she transformed and split into two older people in their Weaponized armours, one male and one female. Both of them have black eyes with pink irises, long pale pink hair, and black and white armour with pink highlights.

Male Zonda has spikier hair, a noticeably more muscular build, large pieces of armour on his shoulders, and a large, pink, crystal-like spike in his crotch.

Female Zonda has smoother hair, large armour around her hips, and a black armoured tail with a large spike at the end.

"What the... did Zonda just split herself into two people?!" Kanade exclaimed.

"That's the power of her Septima, ladies. Be on your guard." Geiz warned the Symphogears.

"Especially when both halves fight together." Zi-O added.

"Understood, we'll be careful." Serena replied as everyone began their combat stances with their weapons ready.

"Can't decide which gender you want to be, eh, Zonda?" Gunvolt asked.

"You both look disgusting either way!" Copen added.

"Since there are so many intruders violating our precious Eden..." Male Zonda began.

"...We've decided to play with both of our forms instead." Female Zonda finished.

"Now come! Let our forms enact revenge on you for good and all!" The Zondas declared before beginning their combat stances.

"Everyone! Split up and take one of them down!" Zi-O commanded the group.

"Got it!" They agreed as they split up to each side of the arena to deal with one of the Zondas. With Gunvolt, Zi-O and Kanade to deal with Male Zonda, while Copen, Geiz and Serena deal with Female Zonda.

* * *

Male Zonda launched several mirrors above the group before the mirrors launched several mirror spikes onto them. The group quickly dodged the mirror spikes with Zi-O and Kanade breaking though some of the mirrors with their melee weapons. While busy dodging, Gunvolt took his chance to fire some tag bullets with his Dart Leader onto Zonda before unleashing his Flashfield to damage him. Zonda took some damage before he created several mirrors and quickly retreated inside one of them. As he did so, it and the rest of the mirrors left a reflection of himself. The group glanced at several mirrors of Male Zonda's reflections as they tried to find the real one.

"Hehe, I haven't had a chance to fight you like this yet. So, I figured a test run might be in order." Male Zonda taunted the group from one of the mirrors.

"Be careful, everyone! Zonda's trying to play with you guys!" Joule warned the group.

"Unlike the replica I gave to my brother, my Glaive is true. I don't need Shards or Grimoires to defeat all of you." Male Zonda continued.

"Are the Grimoires what you're using to transform?" Gunvolt asked him.

"Indeed! Well, that and the power sealed within the Shards." Male Zonda confirmed. "They let me craft the Glaive and amplify all of our powers! And it's all thanks to your darling little Muse. I'm thankful. Truly I am! And I want to pay you back, by killing _every last one of you!_" He finished before performing a dash attack from one of the mirrors and heading straight for Zi-O.

"Not if we have anything to say about it!" Zi-O countered as he jumped away from Zonda's dash attack.

"It will take more than that to stop us!" Kanade added as she dodged another dash attack.

"You're done abusing Joule's powers, Zonda! Oversurge! Azure Striker! Shatter this mirror of lies!" Gunvolt declared as he raised his left hand that is charged up with electricity and began to attack the dashing Zonda as he was heading towards him.

* * *

In the other side of the arena, Female Zonda, who was floating and dancing in the air, launched several pink and purple energy balls onto the other group of heroes who are busy jumping and dodging her attacks, with the energy balls bouncing all over the place.

"Behold this overflowing love! Impressive, no?" Female Zonda taunted the group while launching her energy balls. "I wasn't able to show true love before, but now? Yes!"

_"Why such excitement after transforming...?" _Serena thought while dodging Zonda's attacks.

"A monster like you knows nothing of love, Zonda." Copen scowled at her while dodging. "You went to war against innocent people and kidnapped my sister. You'll never be pure, no matter what form you take!"

"Ah... Sibling love truly is a beautiful thing..." Female Zonda continued. "And yet the sister you love bears the very sin you hate! You kill Adepts to save an Adept! Oh, how the rose of your love is spiked with thorns!"

"You were right about one thing though, I did kill many Adepts during my crusade as an Adept Slayer." Copen admitted as he... slowly lowered his gun?

"Oh? So you finally admitted your actions and your guilt?" Female Zonda asked as she stopped attacking and landed on the floor.

"Yeah." Copen answered. "But that ends today."

"What?"

"It's like what Zi-O said earlier, it IS possible for humans and Adepts to coexist with each other. We made it this far thanks to him and his friends, along with working together with Gunvolt and Joule. Gunvolt fought to protect innocent people despite being an Adept, and he even made some human friends he can trust. So it's time I decided to follow the same path as him, to stop being an Adept Slayer and to become a Luminous Avenger, protecting both innocent humans AND Adepts! And if my sister is indeed an Adept like you said, well, then I'll just have to accept it as it is. Besides, at least she still has her humanity inside of her. _Unlike you._" Copen finished as he pointed his finger at Female Zonda.

"W-What kind of love is that?!" Female Zonda studdered in shock.

"The kind of love that not even a monster like you would understand." Copen answered as he lowered his pointed hand. "Also..."

Suddenly, Female Zonda was struck by a blast of light energy from below her feet and damaging her in the process, thanks to Serena's sneak attack from behind.

**SILKY†RAY**

"...Watch your step." Copen finished with a confident smirk.

"Why... you...!" Female Zonda growled as she turned to the one responsible for the sneak attack.

**FINISH TIME!**

**GIWA GIWA SHOOT!**

And then suddenly, Geiz fired a powerful charged arrow shot from above while airborne and onto the unsuspecting Female Zonda's head, resulting in a big explosion as Geiz landed beside Serena. "Don't forget to look up too." Geiz taunted Female Zonda as he did a high-five with Serena.

After the dust settled, Female Zonda started coughing in pain and growled at Geiz and Serena for that sneak attack. "You... annoying little brats!" She growled in anger and is about to launch another energy ball.

Unfortunately, Female Zonda failed to see yet another sneak attack because of their distraction, this time from Copen unleashing his **Hailstorm Blade** Ex Weapon onto her with several icy slash waves that sent her flying to the other side of the arena where the other group of heroes were fighting Male Zonda.

* * *

Meanwhile, Male Zonda was about to perform another dash attack towards Gunvolt. But just as Male Zonda is about to collide with Gunvolt, he was suddenly intercepted by a flying Female Zonda which then collided into one of the illusion mirrors, destroying it and the mirror clone in the process, and ends with Female Zonda skidding across the floor.

"What do you think you're doing?! You're interrupting my routine!" One of the Male Zonda mirrors yelled in anger at Female Zonda as she was slowy standing up.

"Wait, that was not my intention!" Female Zonda raised her hands in defence.

While the Zondas are argueing, the group were confused at what just happened.

"Okay, I did not expect that." Kanade commented.

"At least she stopped the attack from destroying one of the mirrors." Zi-O stated.

"The mirrors..." Joule began to look at the rest of the mirrors with Male Zonda's reflections, until she realised, "That's it! Everyone, destroy all of those mirrors till we can find the real Male Zonda!"

"Got it, Joule! Thanks!" Gunvolt replied back before he turned to Zi-O and Kanade. "You heard her! Break every single mirror till the real one comes out!"

"Got it!" They agreed as Zi-O used his Zikan Gilade Zyu Mode and fired multiple charged shots at the mirrors. Kanade also threw her spear above before it launched multiple falling spears onto the other mirrors.

**STARDUST∞FOTON**

Most of the reflection mirrors are broken, until Gunvolt quickly noticed one mirror left. The real Male Zonda is right there and still busy arguing with Female Zonda as he failed to noticed that all of the other mirrors are already broken. "There you are!" Gunvolt yelled as he launched his Dragonsphere onto the mirror, destroying it and sending the real Male Zonda crashing into Female Zonda with an electrical explosion. The two groups of heroes regrouped togetherand prepared their combat stances again at the Zondas.

"Nicely done, guys!" Lola cheered. "You sure showed Zonda who's boss!"

"Though the one who sent Female Zonda flying was you guys?" Kanade asked the other group that fought Female Zonda.

"Actually, it was Copen who did that, after me and Geiz did a sneak attack from behind and above." Serena answered.

"Heh, nice." Gunvolt smirked at their success.

"You're welcome." Copen smirked back.

"And thanks to that, Male Zonda was distracted enough for us to flush him out by breaking all of those mirrors till we find the real one." Zi-O pointed out.

"And flush him out you guys did." Geiz nodded in response. "But we're not done yet."

The heroes glanced at the Zondas who are slowing standing up and in pain after the assault from the heroes.

"All of you will pay for that...!" Male Zonda growled in anger.

"...And for that, we will show you our trump card!" Female Zonda added as she and Male Zonda flew up into the air.

"Now! Witness our dazzling banquet of true love!" The Zondas danced together as they unleash their trump card.

**"Phantasmagoria!"**

"This is it, everyone! Brace yourselves!" Zi-O quickly warned the group as they are prepared to counter the Zondas' trump card.

The Zondas use their powers to flip the arena upside down in order to confuse the heroes.

"What the... We're upside down?!" Kanade exclaimed in shock.

"Stay focused, Kanade!" Gunvolt quicky adviced her and ignoring the Zondas' tricks.

Next, Male Zonda performed a dash attack towards the heroes while Female Zonda launched homing pink energy balls. The heroes were able to focus and dodged the attacks while ignoring the upside down trick that the Zondas unleashed. Eventually, the heroes were also able to dodge the second and the third attack waves, with the third one was when Male Zonda performed a dash attack with a mirror clone. And then the Zondas began to finish their trump card with Male Zonda unleashing beams of light and Female Zonda unleashing bubble beams with pink hearts on the inside.

"T-There's no way we can dodge those!" Serena gasped in shock with no way of countering the Zonda's final attack wave.

Gunvolt and Copen however, had an idea to counter it. "Everyone, quickly get close to me and Copen!" Gunvolt yelled to the group. Once everyone got close to them, Gunvolt and Copen unleashed their Flashfield to block Female Zonda's bubble beam and avoided Male Zonda's light beams since the beams are unblockable. Gunvolt and Copen kept blocking the bubble beams untill the whole arena was covered with smoke. Eventually, the Zondas stopped attacking and used their powers to turn the arena back to normal.

"This... is our love!" The Zondas gloated, thinking that they've defeated the heroes. However when the smoke dissipated, the heroes somehow dissapeared! "What?! They're gone?!" The Zondas exclaimed in shock and frantically looked around the arena to finish the heroes off. Unfortunately they were to late as the Zondas were suddenly binded together by a glowing blue chain around their bodies held by several more blue chains from the ground. "We can't... break free!" The Zondas muttered as they struggled to break away the chains, but to no avail.

"Good, then you can enjoy THIS!" Kanade yelled from behind the binded Zondas as she created a large fireball in front of her with her spear and stabbed the fireball, unleashing a devastating flame beam towards them, heavily damaging and burning them.

**SUPERGIANT∞FLARE**

"Try this too!" Serena yelled from another side of the arena as she threw two knives above the binded Zondas. Then the knives circle around each other, creating a large energy circle which then unleashed multiple raining light arrows onto them, dealing more damage.

**IGNIS****†****FATUUS**

"And this! **Shred Storm!**" Copen yelled from another side of the arena as he unleashed his Shred Storm special skill by commanding the bits to slash multiple times at the binded Zondas in blinding speeds.

"Don't forget this!** Luxcaliber!**" Gunvolt yelled from the air and above the binded Zondas as he launched his Luxcaliber onto them. The Luxcaliber pierced through both of the Zondas' chest and armour, starting with Male Zonda's chest.

**FINISH TIME!**

"And here's a Finish Time to top it all off!" Zi-O and Geiz yelled as they thrusted their charged up right foot forward while airborne and falling towards the binded Zondas while passing through Gunvolt, with the floating kakatana letters surrounding them.

**TIME BREAK!**

**TIME BURST!**

The Riders collided their powerful charge kicks with the kakatanas merging onto their right foot and collided into Gunvolt's Luxcaliber which is still stuck onto the Zondas' chest, resulting into an enormous explosion that's just enough to deliver the final blow to both Zondas.

"That's... not possible...!/Our love... defeated...?!" The Zondas muttered their last words before exploding, with the Riders landing below the explosion with their right foot and their left knee on the ground. When the Riders stood up and looked, they saw several falling mirror shards scattering across the arena.

"Phew... Well I guess that's that." Kanade sighed with relief as everyone put away their weapons. "Pretty sneaky using the Axe Legion to bind the Zondas with the astral chain while their guard is down, Geiz."

"Heh, I aim to please." Geiz replied back with a smirk while gently knocking on the Legatus on his left wrist.

"Unfortunately, I don't think that's the real Zonda." Serena pointed out as she shook her head.

"Wait, seriously?" Kanade questioned in shock.

"She's right." Zi-O confirmed to Kanade as everyone regrouped. "The ones we defeated were just more fakes."

"Ugh, dammit. I should've expected this." Kanade sighed in fustration.

"Yeah, considering the falling mirror shards that scattered around the arena after we blew them to kingdom come." Geiz pointed out.

"Then there's no doubt that the real Zonda is with Mytyl right now." Copen concluded.

"The question right now is: Where are they hiding?" Gunvolt asked. And soon after Gunvolt asked that question, a light lit up on the other end of the arena, showing a doorway slowly opening and gaining the attention of the heroes. "_That door... is it inviting us inside?_" He thought.

"Guys, the Shards are reacting behind that door." Lola informed the group. "Mytyl's definitely in the next room!"

"She's right. I can sense Septima waves behind that door too!" Joule added as she appeared next to Gunvolt. "The real Zonda must be there as well!"

"I smell a trap waiting ahead." Geiz said cautiously as his eyes narrowed.

"But it's the only way forward." Copen replied to Geiz. "Still, I've got a really bad feeling about this..."

"Then I guess we'll have to smash that trap then, won't we?" Zi-O declared as he punched his open palm.

"Looks like we'll have to bite first then." Gunvolt added before turning to Copen. "By the way, are you feeling alright, Copen? Zonda didn't do too much with your mind, right?"

"Don't worry, it will take more than that to stop me." Copen shook his head and assured Gunvolt. "And besides, my days of being an Adept Slayer is over. From this moment on, I'm now a Luminous Avenger, one who protects innocent people and Adepts, and punish the ones who attacks the defenceless."

"A Luminous Avenger, huh?" Gunvolt repeated and smirked. "Now that is a _way_ better title for you."

"You can thank our new friends for helping me see the light. The _true_ light." Copen smirked back before turning to the group.

"You're welcome, Copen." Serena smiled back at Copen with everyone else also smiling.

"Anytime, buddy!" Kanade added with a grin.

"I'm glad you changed for the better." Geiz also added. "I was the one who came up with that title, after all.

"So that's how..." Zi-O replied to Geiz before he turned to the group. "Right then, ready to finally finish this?"

"Yeah!"

"Then let's move out!" Zi-O declared as everyone ran through the final door and towards Mytyl and the real Zonda's location.

* * *

**The Garden, Throne Room**

As the heroes arrived at the Throne Room, they were shocked to see a sleeping Mytyl floating up in the air inside of a green barrier and in a laying down position with Zonda standing on the other side of the room, staring at the floating Mytyl.

Mytyl looked like a young teenage girl with gold eyes and long white hair. She's wearing a pink dress with white frills and a blue bow on her chest. She also has a red ribbon tied into her hair.

"Is that... Mytyl?" Serena asked in shock.

"And how is she floating?!" Kanade added in shock.

"Mytyl! Wake up, snap out of it!" Copen called out to her sister..

"Zonda! What the gack do you think you're doing to her?!" Gunvolt growled at Zonda, which caught her attention.

"Hmm... looks like I've underestimated all of you for defeating my copies." Zonda said. "But unfortunately, you're too late. I now have all of the Shards in a single location. Oh, and one more thing, GV. Remember the Seraph? Since Mytyl is here, then I can use her to tear The Muse from your body! Now bear witness to the true extent of Mytyl's power!

"Huh?!" Joule gasped in horror.

"Oh crap, not good!" Lola also gasped in horror.

As Zonda moved her right hand forward, the collected Shards started to slowly purge out of Joule and Lola's bodies, making them scream in pain.

"Aaaahhhh!"

"Joule!" Gunvolt, Zi-O and Kanade exclaimed in shock.

"Lola!" Copen, Geiz and Serena also exclaimed.

"Nnngh... Y-You can beat Zonda without me, GV, Copen, everyone... I know it... My song... is inside you..." Joule muttered her last words before she disappeared, leaving behind the collected Shards as they started floating around Mytyl, along with Lola's collected Shards.

"Now, let me show you all the true purpose of the Mirror Shards." Zonda declared as she raised her hand towards Mytyl. "Come to me, my Shards! Come and sing this world to ruin!"

The Shards started to slowly extract all of the Septima from inside of Mytyl while the barrier turned dark purple. Soon after, the Shards extracted all of the Septima from Mytyl as the barrier disappeared, releasing Mytyl as she started to fall.

"Mytyl!" Copen yelled, but then Kanade quickly sprinted forward and jumped, managing to catch Mytyl in time just before she fell to the floor. Kanade landed safely with Mytyl in a bridal carry and quickly ran back to the group.

"Don't worry, I got her." Kanade confirmed, giving Copen a sigh of relief.

"Thanks, Kanade." Copen replied and was glad that her sister was safe, for now. "Better put her someplace safe, we're not done yet."

Kanade nodded in response and gently lay Mytyl to the floor and away from the battlefield before regrouping back to the heroes.

"I have no use for Mytyl anymore, so you can keep her." Zonda coldly replied to the group, which made them pissed at what she did to Mytyl. Zonda raised her hand towards the Shards as they floated around her. She placed her hands onto her chest and closed her eyes as the Shards began to go inside of her. "Ah, my new power... feel how it flows!" She said before she glowed in a dark purple light, making the heroes cover their eyes for a moment.

Soon after the light disappeared, the Throne Room changed into an arena with floating mirrors all around the area. And when the heroes looked up, and what they saw, was completely horrifying. Zonda had transformed into a monstrous-looking fairy with black sclera along with burning crimson pupils, her hair lengthening dramatically to the point that it seems to float upwards as it becomes stark-white with pink tips, her head adorned with a black crown as befitting of her status as the Oracle of Eden. Clad in something that vaguely resembles a small amount of armour and exposes her stomach along with constructs that appear to be jet engines draping her sides, Zonda now possesses a pair of enormous, demonic wings that resemble a suit of cards, in this case, it's pink colored heart-shaped wings. This is Zonda's final form, **Reverie Zonda**.

"What... in the world... is that?!" Serena exclaimed in horror at Zonda's new form.

"That has got to be the most disgusting looking fairy I've ever seen." Kanade commented.

"This must be Zonda's final form when she fused with The Muse Septima." Zi-O pointed out.

"Be careful, everyone! She's about to go all-out with this form!" Geiz warned the group as everyone equipped their weapons and prepared their battle stances.

"Thanks to The Seven, the Shards have been normalized." Zonda spoke with an electronic echoing voice. "And thanks to Mytyl, I can instill The Muse into my body. And fusing with The Muse has amplified my Septima a hundredfold. All that is left now... is paradise. I must build a perfect world. Free of all non-Adepts! Reverie Mirror will fill this world with love!"

Zi-O pointed his Zikan Gilade Ken Mode forward and declared to Zonda, "Not if we have anything to say about it! And don't think you can become god by doing so!"

Copen quickly turned to Lola, who reverted back to her battle pod, and asked, "Lola, are you okay?!"

"Yeah... I'm alright." Lola replied after she shook her head a bit. "Zonda took all of the Shards from me and Joule, but I've got a full backup. All EX Weapons are online. System seems OK. I likely can't take human form again, but..." She turned to Gunvolt, who is still horrified at what happened to Joule.

"Joule?! Joule, talk to me!" Gunvolt tried to call out to her.

"This isn't like what Nova did, GV." Zonda stated coldly. "She can't hear you. I've watched my comrades use the Shards. I've analyzed the data. Then I used it to normalize and fuse with The Muse! Your loving words cannot reach her. It's all over."

"No... NO!"

"Reality cares not for denial. Your end is at hand. The love of my friends lives within me along with the Shards. That, plus The Muse's song, will help me destroy you."

"This isn't happening..." Gunvolt fell to his knees and is about to give in to despair...

***BANG***

...Until Copen fired his gun at Zonda's face, making a small bleeding scar on her right cheek. He turned to Gunvolt and demanded, "Gunvolt. GET. UP. NOW."

"Huh?" Gunvolt looked at Copen and in shock.

"Listen to me very closely... Don't you EVER listen to that monster's lies! I refuse to believe that Joule's gone!" Copen strongly stated.

"He's right, you know." Geiz added, gaining Gunvolt's attention. "Right now, Joule still in there, fighting back against Zonda's corruption."

"There's still hope, GV! We can still save her!" Serena assured him.

"Don't ever give up, GV! Joule wouldn't wanna see you like this!" Kanade added.

"Our chances of saving Joule may be small, but it's better than having no chance at all." Zi-O pointed out.

"I also don't wanna see Joule go away like this!" Lola added.

"We didn't come all this way to lose, Gunvolt." Copen said as he offered his hand to him. "Now please, are we going to defeat Zonda and save Joule, or not?"

"Copen... Everyone..." Gunvolt said softly as he looked at everyone that still have not given up hope. Maybe they are right, after all. There's still a chance to save Joule, even if the odds are slim. With that in mind, Gunvolt's face turned to serious determination and grabbed Copen's offered hand. "You're right. I'm not done yet. We're not done yet. Joule can still be saved, and we're not gonna let Zonda get away with this!"

"That's much better." Copen said with a small grin as he helped Gunvolt stand up.

"Didn't I tell you earlier? Your precious Muse cannot hear your voice anymore." Zonda coldly reminded.

"You don't get to decide Joule, Mytyl, or anyone's fate." Gunvolt replied back to Zonda.

"Because the fate of the future..." Copen added.

"...IS OURS TO DECIDE!" Gunvolt and Copen declared as they pointed their guns at Zonda while the other heroes got their weapons ready. The final battle, is about to begin.

Zonda began her attack by launching several tarot cards as they homing in onto the heroes. They quickly split up in different directions to avoid being cut. Zonda threw even more cards at them before teleporting to another part of the arena. The heroes managed to evade and slash away the cards approaching them. When Zonda appeared again, her wings changed into diamond shaped and colored yellow.

Kanade saw Zonda appearing and quickly took her chance to strike by unleashing a slash wave towards Zonda.

**POWER∞SHINE**

But before the slash wave could reach Zonda, she quickly created a yellow, diamond-shaped barrier made of light around herself, and easily redirected the attack onto a nearby wall. "What?!" Kanade exclaimed in shock that her attack had no effect on Zonda.

Serena also threw several knifes towards Zonda, but the barrier bounced them back. "My knives didn't pierce through?!" Serena exclaimed in shock.

Zi-O, Geiz and Copen fired their guns at Zonda next, but the barrier also redirected the bullets and arrows back. "Tch! Bullets and arrows won't work either...!" Copen muttered in annoyance.

Gunvolt fired his Dart Leader onto Zonda, and luckily, the shots managed to tag the barrier_._ _"The barrier can be tagged? In that case...!" _Gunvolt thought. Seeing his chance, he unleashed his Flashfield onto the tagged barrier as electricity started to slowly crack the barrier. "Copen! Tag the barrier and keep firing until it breaks!" Gunvolt shouted.

Copen nodded in response and performed his Bullit Dash onto the barrier to tag it. After it was tagged, he commanded the bits to fire multiple homing lasers onto the barrier, leaving more cracks onto it. Eventually, both attacks managed to break the barrier, leaving Zonda vulnerable to attack.

"Everyone, Zonda's barrier is down! Attack now!" Copen shouted to the group as he and Gunvolt tagged Zonda again and unleashed electricity and homing lasers onto her. Zi-O and Geiz fired bullets and arrows onto Zonda while Kanade and Serena charged up their Armed Gears before launching them towards Zonda.

**SAGITTARIUS∞ARROW**

**GNOME****†****TRIAL**

All of the attacks struck Zonda, dealing major damage onto her. _"Ugh...! They still clung onto hope, and yet, they managed to put up a fight...!"_ Zonda muttered in her thoughts while slowly trying to recover from their assault. Zonda teleported again to another side of the room and her wings were now spade shaped and colored blue. She then created multiple blue swords from above and launching them towards the heroes.

"Mini-Luxcalibers?!" Kanade exclaimed as she recognized the shape of the swords.

"Move!" Geiz shouted to the group as they began to quickly dodge and jump away from the falling swords.

While the heroes are busy dodging the falling swords, Zonda teleported again and reappeared with her wings changed again, this time in club shaped and colored green. She then threw several green cards onto the walls as the cards materialized into giant grinding green thorn pillars and started to quickly moved towards the heroes.

While Serena was busy dodging the falling swords, she quickly noticed the approaching thorn pillars heading towards her and the group. She gasped in shock and quickly shouted to them, "Look out, incoming!"

The heroes immediately heard Serena's warning, turned and noticed the approaching thorn pillars and quickly jumped away from the pillars, just barely before the pillars hit them. Zonda teleported again and reappeared back with her heart-shaped wings. She then created a small pink orb before letting it fall below her and into the ground. Then the orb began generating a pink vacuum field effect, forcefully pulling the heroes towards the orb after they landed onto the ground. They stood their ground to avoid getting near the field, however, Zi-O and Geiz seemed to notice that the pink field is also regenerating Zonda after they saw her wounds fading away, including the scar on her cheek that Copen shot at.

"Ugh, she's healing her wounds while protecting herself...!" Geiz muttered in annoyance before he turned to Zi-O. "Any ideas?!"

In response, Zi-O looked at the pink orb that is generating the pink vacuum field. "Maybe destroying that orb will erase the vacuum field and stop the healing process!" He suggested to Geiz while pointing at said orb.

"Worth a shot!" Geiz replied as he and Zi-O began charging up their Zikan weapons and aimed at the pink orb. Once the charge up is full, they unleashed their powerful charged blasts onto the pink orb and destroyed it, erasing the pink vacuum field and left Zonda in a surprised state that her recovery is interrupted.

"Now! Attack Zonda again while her guard is down!" Zi-O shouted to the group as he and Geiz continued to fire more energy arrows and bullets onto Zonda.

Gunvolt began launching his Dragonsphere towards Zonda as it exploded into a Crashbolt after it struck her, while Copen tagged Zonda again with a Bullit Dash before unleashing his **Ferrous Fangs** Ex Weapon, which launched blood shots towards her. After the blood shots struck her, they flew back to Copen as pink sparkles, recovering him in the process. Quite ironic since Zonda tried to recover herself earlier.

Meanwhile, Kanade unleashed multiple slash waves with her spear towards Zonda before delivering one more final burning spear slash onto her before jumping back and landing next to Serena.

**STARLIGHT∞SLASH**

Finally, Serena threw her knife above Zonda before it quickly decended and onto Zonda's head, ending with an explosion.

**XANA****†****TEARS**

After the assault on Zonda, the heroes regrouped and back into their battle stances. "What's the matter, Zonda? I thought the Oracle of Eden would put up more of a fight!" Zi-O taunted her.

"Enough of this." Zonda replied after slowly recovering. "Playtime is over, it's time I finish this." She declared before teleporting and reappearing with monstrous dark purple wings and performing her strongest special skill.

**"Eden's Presence!"**

Zonda then threw seven cards around the arena before disappearing.

"What is she planning?" Kanade asked the group while looking around the arena.

"I don't know, but keep your guard up." Zi-O replied cautiously.

However, when Serena looked up, she gasped in shock at a fake Desna fast approaching from above with her drill hairs pointing downwards and is about to crush the heroes. "Everyone, move!" Serena yelled to group, gaining their attention as they immediately jumped away from the area that Desna is aiming for.

Before Serena landed on one side of the arena, she was suddenly attacked from behind by a fake Gibril, unleashing a bloody double claw strike onto her, sending Serena tumbling to the floor.

After Kanade landed on another side of the arena, she gasped in shock when she saw Serena being hurt by Gibril's sneak attack. "Serena!" Kanade yelled before quickly running towards her to help. However, Kanade failed to see another sneak attack from the side, this time from the fake Milas as he unleashed a powerful dash attack onto Kanade, with another dash attack sending her tumbling to the ground and next to Serena.

After Zi-O landed on another side of the arena, he was shocked to find out that Kanade and Serena were hurt. "Kanade! Serena!" He yelled before running towards the girls to help. But then he suddenly stopped moving when he noticed a shadow below him getting larger and larger. When he looked up, something bad was about to hurt him instead. "Oh, frick." He muttered before being crushed by a large purple prism from above as it breaks upon impact, courtesy of the fake Ghauri.

After Geiz landed on another side of the arena, he was also shocked that Zi-O and the girls are down for the count. "Damn it, I wasn't expecting this...!" He muttered in frustration until he heard something that is about to shoot him from behind. He quickly turned around and saw the fake Asroc as he commanded Galette Krone from above to fire a barrage on bullets from its fingers and onto Geiz. "Legion!" Geiz quickly used the Legatus and called forth the Axe Legion to block the attack with its barrier. But after Galette Krone stopped firing, it performed a powerful burning right punch onto the guarding Axe Legion as the impact started to slowly break away the barrier. Eventually, it broke through the barrier and punched the Legion so hard that it ended in an explosion, taking out the Legion in the process and sending it back onto the Legatus to recover. The explosion also sent Geiz flying before falling and crashed onto the unconscious Zi-O with a large impact.

After Gunvolt and Copen landed next to each other, with Lola floating next to Copen, they were shocked that their allies were completely knocked out. "What the... What the gack just happened?!" Gunvolt exclaimed in shock.

"I don't know, but I'm definitely not going to like what's coming up next...!" Copen replied cautiously.

But when Lola looked above, she gasped in shocked at what is fast approaching them. "Incoming lasers from above!" Lola yelled to Gunvolt and Copen as they looked up and jumped away from the green lasers being fired by the fake Teseo. But Gunvolt and Copen didn't notice that they were jumping towards an icy snow prison instead, which traps them and unable to use Prevasion to evade the attack. They fell into the trap before something from above is fast approaching them. It was the fake Tenjian, unleashing a powerful icy downward slash onto the trapped Gunvolt and Copen, delivering heavy damage onto them and sending them crashing onto the ground.

As Zonda's special skill ended, she appeared before the collapsed heroes while still with her dark monstrous wings. "This is the power of my new Septima, borrowing the powers of my fallen comrades to strike down the enemies of my new utopia." Zonda emontionlessly stated to the fallen heroes. "Hm?" That is, until she saw the heroes slowly standing up while struggling after being struck by Eden's Presence. "So, all of you still survived after I unleashed Eden's Presence onto you."

"It will take... more than that... to stop us..." Zi-O spoke to Zonda while still panting from the pain.

"We... will never give up...!" Kanade added while panting.

"We... will never stop...!" Gunvolt added.

"...Untill we take you down... you monster...!" Copen also added.

"I see... So you all have chosen death..." Zonda replied to the heroes. "Then it's time for me to put you all to sleep, permanently. For this... is checkmate." She closed her eyes and raised her hands in open arms before unleashing one final trump card.

**"Paradise Lost."**

Zonda began to sing a song of despair as her voice echoed across the arena and into the ears of the heroes. They screamed in pain as they fell to their knees and covered their ears to try to block away from Zonda's singing.

"What... the hell... is this song...?!" Kanade screamed in pain.

"This song... it hurts... so much...!" Serena also screamed in pain.

_"Ugh...! Is this how GV felt when he listened to that horrible song...?!"_ Zi-O thought while in pain.

_"I've heard horrible songs before... but this... is the absolute worse...!"_ Geiz also thought while in pain.

"Aaahhh! This song... is frying up my circuits...!" Lola screamed in pain.

"Lola...! Don't give up...! We can't fall here...!" Copen told her while also in pain.

_"My body's... starting to tear apart... so slow... it h-hurts..."_ Gunvolt thought while also in pain. _"This is... when she'd save me... I need her song..."_

_"You can beat Zonda without me GV, Copen, everyone... I know it..."_

Joule's words started to echo onto Gunvolt's mind before his face turned to serious determination. _"No... I can't keep relying on her forever!"_ He thought while shaking his head, slowly standing up and putting his hands away from his ears while ignoring the pain from Zonda's song. _"Remember what she said... Her song... Her song is inside me!"_ With his mind made up, he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and began to do what Joule did when all hope is lost...

**(Play BGM: Reincarnation Alternative by Gunvolt)**

_Hodokenai kokoro tokashite nidoto hanasanai, anata no te..._

...He sang her song.

While Gunvolt is singing, something happened to Zonda. The aura of despair around her began to break, forcing her singing to cease and began to feel pain and clutched her head as Gunvolt's singing went inside her ears. _"I-impossible...! My song of despair... is broken...?!"_ Zonda thought with panic as she didn't expect Gunvolt finding away to stop her singing without The Muse.

With Zonda's song gone, Copen and the other heroes were able to stand up and recover while noticing with surprise that Gunvolt's singing put a stop to Paradise Lost.

"Is Gunvolt... singing?" Copen asked while feeling surprised at what Gunvolt is doing.

"Wait, those lyrics... this is Joule's song!" Kanade was shocked as she recognised those lyrics from before after her conversation with Joule back at Gunvolt's apartment.

"So Gunvolt is singing one of Joule's songs? And it's working?" Lola asked Kanade, who nodded in response. "Joule... You..."

"So this is what Joule meant when she said that her song is inside him..." Serena pointed out.

Zi-O and Geiz had a small smile on their faces when they saw what Gunvolt is doing, since they already know what's going to happen thanks to their video game knowledge back in their world.

_"Go and sing your heart out, GV!"_ Zi-O thought with confidence.

_"If anyone can stop Zonda's song of despair, it's you!"_ Geiz also thought with confidence.

"Song... huh...?" Kanade put her hand on her chin and pondered at why Gunvolt's singing is affecting Zonda, until she had an idea with a snap of her fingers. She took out a piece of paper from her pocket and gave it to Serena. "Here, Serena. Read this."

"Eh?" Serena blinked at Kanade for a moment before reading the paper. "Is this... song lyrics?"

"Yup." Kanade confirmed with a nod. "I wrote them down after having a chat with Joule back at GV's apartment, just to know what her song means. I was wondering if you can memorise those lyrics for me."

"But why?" Serena asked her, who responded with a knowing wink, which made Serena's eyes widen at what Kanade is REALLY planning. "I'm going to sing?!"

"Nope. _We_ are going to sing." Kanade corrected her. "It's time we put our powers of the Attuned to good use, and give Zonda a taste of her own medicine. Can't let GV have all the fun now, can we?" Kanade finished with a confident grin.

"I see..." Serena replied before giving her a determined look. "Alright, let's do it. Give me a while to memorise the lyrics."

"Great! Let me help you with how the tone of the song goes." Kanade replied.

Meanwhile, Zi-O can't help but notice at what Kanade and Serena were doing. "What are they doing?" He asked Geiz, Copen and Lola.

"I have no clue, but they seem to have a plan." Geiz replied. "Also, you guys might want to have a look at this." He showed Zi-O, Copen and Lola his Zikan Phone as it detected something, and what they saw made their eyes widen in shock.

"The... The location of the Distortion?!" Zi-O exclaimed.

"Bingo. And guess where that Distortion is." Geiz moved the Zikan Phone towards Zonda who was still in pain from Gunvolt's singing, and the phone started blinking rapidly, which made them feel shocked again.

"It was inside Zonda this whole time?!" Copen exclaimed. "But how did it get inside her in the first place?!"

"Personally, I have no idea." Geiz replied. "But I do know one thing, we can't let Zonda have it any longer."

"So how are we going to pull that Distortion out of her?" Lola asked.

"With this special Ridewatch." Zi-O replied as he pulled out the colorless Distortion Ridewatch from his pocket. "Einstein gave this to me and Geiz to extract the Distortion out and into this watch. And there are more Distortions out there, besides this world."

"Wow, you guys got a lot of work to do." Lola commented.

"And this is just the beginning." Geiz replied.

"Then we better take this chance now while Zonda's guard is down from Gunvolt's singing." Copen declared.

But before the group began to counterattack Zonda, Serena just finished memorising the lyrics as she gave the paper back to Kanade. "Ok, I'm ready! Let's do it, Kanade!" She said.

"Alright, here goes nothing...!" Kanade declared before she and Serena turned towards Zonda, closed their eyes and took a deep breath. _"Joule... I know you're in there... And if you can hear me... Please listen... Listen to our song!"_

**(BGM End)**

**(Play BGM: Reincarnation Alternative by Kanade Amou and Serena Cadenzavna Eve)**

_Hodokenai kokoro tokashite nidoto hanasanai, anata no te..._

The moment Kanade and Serena began to sing, Gunvolt immediately stopped singing and turned towards them in shock at what they were doing. "Huh?" Gunvolt responded.

Their singing also caught their attention of Copen, Lola and the Kamen Riders, who were also in shock. "Huh? Why are they singing?" Copen asked.

"This is Kanade's plan?" Zi-O commented. "But shouldn't she and Serena let Gunvolt do all the singing to weaken Zonda?"

But when Lola turned to Zonda for a moment, she was surprised at what's happening. "You guys, look at what's happening to Zonda!" She told the group.

The group quickly turned to Zonda in response, and felt very surprised that Zonda's power is getting even weaker, thanks to Kanade and Serena's singing.

Zonda clutched her head even harder when she heard Kanade and Serena's singing. It was weakening her power even further. _"Ugh...! What... is happening...?!"_ She thought while still in pain. _"How is it possible... that their singing... are able to disrupt my powers...?! And they were... just mere humans...!"_

"The Symphogears singing Joule's song... is affecting Zonda?!" Copen exclaimed in shock, until he began to realise and remembered who Kanade and Serena were when he first met them. "Wait... Of course...! Their powers of the Attuned!"

"Ah, that's right!" Lola also realised. "When Kanade sang her song during her fight with Tenjian last time, she got a lot stronger and fought back!"

"Oh, so that's how you guys managed to beat him." Geiz replied to Lola, also remembering their mission at the Frozen City that Gunvolt, Copen, Kanade and Serena were busy fighting Tenjian, while the Kamen Riders deal with the Another Riders.

"And this isn't the first time either." Zi-O pointed out. "Kanade sang again when she, me and GV fought Ghauri back at the Highway Area. And boy, she's still got it."

Gunvolt didn't get to hear the group discussion on how the Symphogear's voices are able to affect Zonda, but eventually he was able to figure it out himself after glancing at the Symphogears before turning to Zonda, and then he remembered Kanade's singing and her power during his fight with Tenjian and Ghauri. ("So, this is your idea huh, Kanade? Looks like it paid off big time since you and Serena were both Attuned.") Gunvolt whispered while having a small smile on his face. He and Joule were very lucky to be friends with them.

"GV!" Zi-O called out, gaining his attention. "The Distortion we're looking for is inside Zonda! We're planning to extract it out of her! Care to give us a hand?!"

Gunvolt was surprised at the discovery before he responded with a nod as he, Copen, and the Kamen Riders set their sights onto Zonda, while the Symphogears continued to weaken her with their singing. With determination and confidence on his face, Gunvolt energized his raised and clenched fist and declared, "Oversurge, Azure Striker! Let thy lightning put an end to Zonda's ambition!"

"No... It can't end like this...!" Zonda panicked as she quickly teleported and reappeared back into her diamond shaped wings and created a diamond barrier around herself while also launching more cards towards the heroes.

Gunvolt jumped, dodged and slide away from the cards while firing his Dart Leader onto the protected Zonda, tagging her in the process and unleashed his Flashfield onto her as elecrticity began to break away the barrier at a much faster rate due to her powers getting weaker from the Symphogears' singing.

Copen charged up his Prism Break Ex Weapon and launched a large prism towards the barrier, immediately destroying it on impact and leaving Zonda defenceless.

With the Distortion Ridewatch ready on Zi-O's right hand, he took his chance as he rushed towards Zonda, jumped high and landed onto her with his left hand on her shoulder and shoved the Ridewatch onto her chest with his other hand.

"Wha... What do you think you're doing?!" Zonda exclaimed to Zi-O.

"Oh, I'm just here to take something that doesn't belong to you." Zi-O replied with a smirk as he turned the dial on the watch. "And by the way, this is gonna tickle for a bit." He finished by pressing the button on the watch as it began to extract the Distortion hiding inside her while she screamed in pain.

Zonda began to launch more cards and direct them onto Zi-O to get him off. However, the cards are quickly destroyed by Geiz firing energy arrows with his Zikan Zax Yumi Mode. "Sorry, but you're not laying a finger on him while he does his business!" Geiz told Zonda.

After a few moments, the Distortion Ridewatch recoiled both Zi-O and Zonda back with force. Zi-O managed to land safely on the ground with the Ridewatch still on his hand, while Zonda crashed into a nearby mirror wall, which broke upon impact.

The heroes regrouped near the Symphogears while Geiz asked Zi-O, "Did you get it?"

"Yup!" Zi-O replied with a smirk as he showed off the Distortion Ridewatch, which is now colored white and blue for the dial, and a logo of a mysterious relic on the center.

"Nice work." Copen praised Zi-O.

"So that's what the Ridewatch looked like when it extracted the Distortion." Lola commented while looking at the now colored Ridewatch.

"Then I think we all know what's coming up next." Geiz began.

"Yeah, time to deliver the final blow to Zonda, once and for all." Gunvolt finished as the group set their sights onto Zonda, one last time.

"How could this happen..." Zonda spoke with fear in her voice. "Our utopia... our paradise! But we fused! The Muse and I, we were... compatible...!"

"Maybe you were... But she's still a person, Zonda. Not a thing. And she'd never do anything to help you!" Gunvolt answered.

"You kidnapped my sister, stole The Muse's powers and harmed innocent people. You have sinned far too much, and for that, you WILL be punished!" Copen declared to Zonda.

"I hope you're ready to join your brother in hell, Zonda. Because you both definitely deserve it after what you've done!" Kanade also declared as she opened her eyes.

"It's time for you to finally rest in peace, and never trouble this world ever again!" Serena also declared to Zonda while also opening her eyes.

"Get ready to face your final judgement, Zonda!" Geiz also declared.

"I've got a great feeling that this will work out. _You? _I don't think so." Zi-O told Zonda before turning to Gunvolt and Copen. "Boys? Care to say my finishing phrase for me?"

"With pleasure." Gunvolt and Copen replied with a smirk before yelling to the group, "Finish Time!"

"Legion!" Geiz called forth the recovered Axe Legion once more as it flew around Zonda and binded her with its astral chains, preventing her from teleporting away. After that, Geiz unchained the Legion with a swipe of his hand as it began to assault Zonda with several axe strikes.

"Hey guys! Wanna try a combination attack with me?" Kanade asked the Kamen Riders. "It's a technique I used with Tsubasa before on the Noise."

"Well then, let's try it!" Zi-O agreed with a nod as he and Geiz went next to Kanade, ready their Zikan Ranged Weapons and slotted the Faiz and Kaixa Ridewatches onto the weapons.

**FINISH TIME! FAIZ!**

**FINISH TIME! KAIXA!**

Kanade and the Riders began charging up their weapons to full power and aimed towards Zonda. Once the charge up is complete, Kanade shouted their combination attack.

**"Combination Strike: Tri-Star Hammer -DIASTER BLAST-!"**

**SURE SURE SHOOTING!**

**GIWA GIWA SHOOT!**

Kanade unleashed a powerful red tornado, while the Riders fired a powerful blast of red and yellow photon, resulting in all of the attacks combining into a devastating photon hurricane which struck Zonda after the Axe Legion disappeared back into the Legatus, and dealing massive damage.

Gunvolt, Copen, Lola and Serena were in awe at Kanade and the Riders' powerful combination attack. And then, Copen had an idea. "Gunvolt, get ready to deliver the final blow to Zonda! Me and Serena will go first with a Combination Attack!" Copen instructed them, gaining a nod from Gunvolt in response.

"Here, Copen. Take a copy of my Armed Gear. I'll combine my **FAIRIAL****†****TRICK** with your **Shred Storm**, and then we'll deliver the final strike!" Serena suggested as she gave him a copy of her knife.

"Alright, let's make this count!" Copen agreed before he and Serena turned their sights onto Zonda. "Lola, let's go!"

"Right behind you, Boss! Serena!" Lola replied.

Copen and Serena are now surrounded by the attack bits and the two floating knives before they sent them towards Zonda in blinding speeds with a swipe of their right hands. The assault tore apart Zonda's wings and armour while dealing massive damage. And then for the finishing touch, Copen and Serena jumped towards Zonda while using the knives they were holding and delivered a left and right diagonal slash, leaving behind a big 'X' mark on Zonda's chest, while shouting their combination attack.

**"Combination Strike: XROSS****†DISASTER!"**

The attack left Zonda screaming in pain and powerless since she's still binded by the astral chains. Gunvolt took one last look at the Oracle of Eden and jumped high while creating an even bigger electrical energy blade, which is much larger than his usual Luxcaliber, from his right hand before reeling it back and shouting his Final Skill.

"Oversurge, Azure Striker! **Grand Strizer!"**

Gunvolt rapidly fell towards Zonda while he yelled, shoved the large energy blade onto the 'X' marked chest area onto her, piercing though and landing on the ground below and behind Zonda, leaving a big hole on her chest with her mouth bleeding and multiple small explosions happening around her body and her wings.

"Our utopia... it's... falling apart... Brother... I... I...! I...!" Zonda cried her last words before being engulfed into a large explosion covering her entire body. And when the explosions ceased, the arena disappeared and turned back into the Throne Room with Zonda completely gone.

"This... is OUR checkmate, Zonda. Farewell..." Gunvolt declared as he stood up and dispersed his energy blade, signalling the end of the final battle.

**(BGM End)**

The heroes also put away their weapons and regrouped while Zi-O declared, "It's over. It's finally over."

"Zonda has officially met her punishment." Copen also declared.

"Phew... It's FINALLY over... She nearly had us for a moment there." Lola commented with a sigh of relief.

"Yeah, glad my plan paid off in the end." Kanade said.

"Now that Zonda is truly gone, it's only a matter of time before Eden will cease to exist." Serena stated.

"Indeed. And we also got the Distortion from this world too. In other words: Mission Complete." Geiz declared.

"Yeah... But Joule... She..." Gunvolt felt a bit empty. The heroes may have won, but what ever happened to Joule after Zonda's defeat? After the group heard Gunvolt's words, they also felt the same way.

"It's alright, Gunvolt. I'm sure she's alright somehow." Copen assured Gunvolt which made him surprised. "But for now, we'd better go see my sister. I hope we're not too late."

"Yeah, let's go see if she's okay." Gunvolt agreed as everyone ran towards the unconscious Mytyl, who was lying down at the safe location of the Throne Room.

"Mytyl!" Copen yelled as he knelt down beside her with his right hand lifting her head a bit.

"Don't tell me we're too late..." Serena muttered with worry.

"Try touching her wrist to feel any pulse from her." Geiz adviced Copen as he followed Geiz' advice and placed his fingers onto Mytyl's wrist.

"Oh no... her pulse is getting weaker...! She could die in any moment!" Copen informed with panic, making the group feel very worried.

"You mean there's nothing we can do?! We can't give up yet!" Kanade exclaimed.

"GV, do you have any healing abilities at all that could work?" Zi-O asked, hoping for a solution.

"I don't have enough energy to use **Galvanic Renewal**, our final battle with Zonda took its toll on me." Gunvolt replied. "But I should have enough energy to use **Galvanic Patch**."

"At least it's better than nothing!" Lola commented. "Let me help too! I should have some spare energy left to use my **Healing** skill."

"Thanks Lola. Let's hope it's enough to save her!" Gunvolt replied as he knelt down next to Copen and Mytyl, while Lola floated above Mytyl. "Copen, let me and Lola use our healing skills to save Mytyl. We still have some energy to spare."

"Please do. Anything to save my sister." Copen replied to him and Lola as Gunvolt moved his hands near Mytyl's body.

"Here goes nothing...! **Galvanic Patch!**" Gunvolt began to use his Septima to heal Mytyl as he glowed blue.

"Activate **Healing**!" Lola began to heal Mytyl by spreading pink sparkles all over her body.

While the healing process begins, the rest of the heroes silently prayed for Mytyl's recovery and hoping for Gunvolt and Lola's success.

_"Come on, Mytyl! Hang in there!"_ Zi-O prayed.

_"Be strong, Mytyl! You can do this!"_ Geiz also prayed.

_"Please Mytyl...! Don't ever give up on living...!"_ Kanade prayed with her eyes closed.

_"Mytyl, please wake up...! Your brother is waiting for you...!"_ Serena prayed also with her eyes closed.

_"Come on, Mytyl...! I don't wanna lose you...!"_ Copen prayed.

_"Joule... Please... Give me strength...!"_ Lola prayed while healing.

_"Joule... If you can hear me... Please... Help me save her...!"_ Gunvolt prayed while also healing.

Everyone continued to pray for Mytyl's recovery, until suddenly, something amazing happened. Mytyl suddenly began to glow in a blue aura and floated up and above the heroes, making them feel shocked and surprised at what's happening.

"Mytyl?" Copen and Gunvolt said as they stood up surprised, until they felt something glowing on their chests. They immediately took out what they are wearing on their necks and realised in shock that the Azure and Crimson Necklaces they are wearing are glowing even brighter as they slowly floated out of their hands and circled around Mytyl.

"What... in the world?" Kanade said in shock.

"W-What's going on?!" Serena exclaimed in shock.

"What's happening to her?" Lola asked in shock.

"Geiz, am I seeing what I'm seeing right now?" Zi-O asked while also in shock.

"Yeah, we all saw it. We're about to witness a miracle." Geiz replied while still being calm as he witnessed miracles like this happening before from video games and movies.

Eventually, Mytyl began to sprout out glowing wings on her back, with her right side having an azure blue butterfly wing, and on her left having a crimson red phoenix wing. The back of her head had small phoenix wings while the front of her head having an azure blue butterfly. And then something came out of Mytyl's chest, a small azure butterfly and a small crimson phoenix appeared in front of her before flying inside of the Azure and Crimson Necklaces respectively. The Necklaces slowly descended and back onto Gunvolt and Copen's hands as they took a quick look at them before wearing them back onto their necks. After that, the wings on Mytyl's back and her head disappeared before slowly descending as Copen caught her in a bridal carry and her glow disappeared. The heroes were completely speechless at what they have witnessed.

"Copen? What just happened?" Gunvolt began to ask.

"I... have absolutely no idea." Copen answered, until he felt something moving on his hands. "Huh?"

It was actually Mytyl, who was slightly moving and slowly opened her eyes to look at her brother. "C-Copen...? I-Is that you...?"

"Mytyl...? You're alive...? And you're speaking again...?" Copen replied in shock as tears began to flow in his eyes before hugging his sister with relief. After so long of Mytyl not being able to speak again, she finally have her voice back. "Thank god... You're alive...! You've managed to survive...!"

Everyone celebrated with Mytyl's recovery with the Symphogears and Lola crying with tears of joy, the Kamen Riders having a sigh of relief, and Gunvolt having a small smile on his face.

"Mytyl... thank goodness...!" Serena cried with relief.

"Thank you... for not giving up...!" Kanade cried while wiping away her tears with her finger.

"Wow... that was some miracle, huh?" Zi-O asked Geiz.

"Yeah... beautiful, isn't it?" Geiz replied back.

"Gunvolt... Lola... Thank you so much..." Copen thanked them with much gratitude for saving her dear sister from death.

"It's our pleasure, Copen." Gunvolt smiled back.

"I don't think it's just us, GV. Joule might have a hand in this miracle." Lola pointed out to Gunvolt.

"I see..." Gunvolt replied back before he looked up and thought, _"Joule... Thanks for the help... I appreciate it..."_

The heroes are about to continue their celebration, until they heard clapping and footsteps slowly approaching them. When they turned their attention to the sound, they were shocked to find out who is was. It was the hooded Neo Time Jacker whom Zonda hired to eliminate the heroes. The Kamen Riders frowned in response.

"Bravo. Bravo indeed. I do enjoy a good celebration." The Neo Time Jacker mockingly greeted them as he stopped clapping.

"What the gacking hell do you want now?!" Zi-O demanded.

"In case you haven't noticed, Zonda's already dead. So where the hell have you been this whole time?!" Geiz also demanded.

"Now now, I can explain everything." The Neo Time Jacker casually raised his hands in defence before putting them back into his pockets. "I was simply busy with other important matters, that's all. You may have taken out the Oracle of Eden..."

The next words the Neo Time Jacker said, left the heroes surprised.

"But this story... is FAR from over..."

* * *

**Chapter 6: Saviours**

**END**


	7. Final Chapter: Indigo Destiny

**Azure and Crimson**

**Final Chapter: Indigo Destiny**

_After a long and difficult final battle, our heroes are able to put a permanent end to Zonda and her ambition. With the death of its leader, Eden will soon crumble into nothingness. The heroes also managed to save Mytyl from near death and regained her lost voice with a small help of a miracle thanks to the mysterious powers of the Azure and Crimson Necklaces, and The Muse, Joule, who is still nowhere to be found even after Zonda's death. However, their celebration is cut short due to the appearance of the hooded Neo Time Jacker who told them this: "You may have defeated the Oracle of Eden... But this story... is FAR from over."_

* * *

"What do you mean by 'this story is far from over?'" Zi-O frowned and asked the Neo Time Jacker.

"You know, you meddling heroes are not the only ones who are after the Distortion fragments." He replied. "My master has plans for them for our new paradise. It's a shame that you managed to get one first. Oh well, there's always next time." He finished with a shrug.

"Then why are you still here anyway?! If you wanna fight, we'll gladly give you one!" Geiz demanded as he took out his X-Baton Blaster Mode and aimed at the Neo Time Jacker.

"Nah, not in the mood this time." He casually shrugged while shaking his head. "I was originally planning to leave this world and head back to my master to report in case things go south, but not before bringing back a little souvenir."

"And what kind of souvenir you're planning to give to your master? Technology of this world or something?" Kanade questioned.

"Actually, it was this." He smirked as he took out something from his pocket, a small pendant with some Septima inside. Gunvolt and Lola felt a surge of Septima coming from that pendant, and it felt familiar.

"A pendant?" Serena said in confusion.

"What kind of pendant is that?" Gunvolt asked the Neo Time Jacker.

"And where in the world did you get it?" Lola also asked.

"I think it's better if I let 'them' explain it to you." The Neo Time Jacker replied.

"Them?" Copen asked as he gently placed Mytyl on the floor in a seated position.

In response, The Neo Time Jacker created a Time Veil in front of him with a snap of his fingers. And when the Time Veil moved backwards a bit before disappearing, it then revealed to be... an unconscious Xiao and Nori?!

This left the heroes with an immediate shock, especially Gunvolt and Copen. "Xiao!?/Nori!?" Gunvolt and Copen quickly ran towards them to see if they are okay.

Zi-O took a deeper look at the pendant that the Neo Time Jacker is holding. _"Wait a moment... that pendant that he's holding... Xiao and Nori appearing... Oh no... Is that what I think it is?!"_ Zi-O realised in horror at what the Neo Time Jacker stole after remembering the canon ending of Gunvolt's story.

"Hey, Xiao! Wake up!/Nori, get up! What's happened?!" Gunvolt and Copen tried to wake up their navigators until they slowly open their eyes.

"Nnngh... GV?/Copen... is that you?" Xiao and Nori responded as they slowly stood up with Gunvolt and Copen assisting.

"Alright Xiao, what's going on?" Gunvolt demanded some answers.

"And what do you know about that pendant that the Neo Time Jacker is holding?" Copen also demanded.

"That pendant he stole from me, it was originally a Glaive before Nori turned it into pendant." Xiao explained. "I was planning to extract the Septima essence when Joule and Mytyl merged."

"Unfortunately, that man ambushed us and stole the pendant." Nori added. "He was planning to extract the Septima essence when Zonda merged with The Muse, and from the looks of it, he's succeeded."

Gunvolt and Copen were shocked at what Xiao and Nori revealed. "But, why would you do that?" Gunvolt asked Xiao.

"It was for Mytyl's sake." Xiao answered. "The Muse Septima has so much power, and if Eden or anyone else misused that power, Mytyl's life would be miserable."

"You did this... for my sister?" Copen questioned Xiao.

"I was only doing this to give Mytyl a normal and peaceful life. Away from the fighting." Xiao answered again.

"Wait, can ask you something?" Kanade asked Xiao and Nori. "What about the communications failure? Don't tell me it was just a ruse."

"No, it was no ruse." Nori answered. "The communications were indeed jammed due to Zonda's Septima. But after that, me and Xiao took this chance to reach the Throne Room undetected without any interference and watched the final battle in secret. That's when that man ambushed us, stole the pendant, and extracted the Septima essence from Zonda after she fused."

"So that's what happened... Why didn't you tell us?" Serena asked Xiao and Nori.

"I'm sorry... It was supposed to be kept a secret to Nori and myself." Xiao apologised to the group.

"I apologise for keeping this information away from you all." Nori also apologised with a bow.

"Well then, satisfied with your answers?" The Neo Time Jacker mocked the heroes.

"Oh, we're satisfied, alright. To the point that you've harmed them in the process! And that extends to what you did with Zeno and Moniqa!" Gunvolt retorted in anger as he pointed his gun at him with the rest of the heroes equipping their weapons.

"As much as I want to eliminate you heroes personally, I'm already almost out of time, so our fight will have to wait till next time. Instead, I'll let my little friend take care of you as a small parting gift." The Neo Time Jacker declared as he summoned the Time Veil again in front of him with another finger snap.

The Time Veil revealed a large humanoid creature which is a few feet taller than the heroes. It had glowing red eyes with a demonic face and red highlights on the body, a horned shaped helmet, and a ridged grey skin texture. It had a large sword on its right hand and a large shield on his left. The creature roared loudly at the heroes startling them a bit and scaring Mytyl with fear.

"What... the gacking hell... is that...?" Gunvolt asked with caution.

"That, my dear Azure Striker, is a Chimera named Laius." The Neo Time Jacker answered. "I decided to give it a small power boost so it can have a fighting chance against all of you. Oh, and Geiz? He also wants his Legatus back."

"Huh?" Geiz was confused at what he meant by that. Geiz began to ponder for a moment until he remembered how he found the Legatus and the X-Baton. And when he figured it out, he felt very shocked at what happened before he found them. It seems that someone else was using the gear first until the Neo Time Jacker ambushed the person and turned it into the Chimera, Lauis, leaving behind the gear in the process. Geiz immediately grit his teeth in anger at what the Neo Time Jacker did to the previous owner. "Oh, you sneaky son of a bitch...!" He muttered.

"Well, I've had my fun. Now it's time for me to leave." The Neo Time Jacker summoned another Time Veil behind him with another finger snap before taking a few steps back towards it.

"Not gonna give us your name then, you bastard?" Zi-O scowled at him.

"You know what? Sure. Since you've all made it this far, I might as well introduce myself." He declared as his removed his hood, revealing his face for all to see. He had a red eye on his right and a yellow eye on his left. He had short black hair with a red streak on his front. "The name's **Eins**, one of the Neo Time Jacker generals." He introduced himself. "Let this be a small glimpse of what's to come in our little conflict. If you all can survive, that is. Until next time, Ciao!" Eins did a finger salute before disappearing into the Time Veil, leaving Lauis to deal with the heroes as it growled and raised its sword hand towards them.

"Eins... huh...?" Zi-O repeated the name of the Neo Time Jacker. _"If this is one of the generals, then there's no doubt that my sister and her team is dealing with one of them as well in Shantae's world."_

"You still up for one more fight?" Geiz asked Zi-O while equipping the Zikan Zax Ono Mode on his right and his X-Baton Blaster Mode on his left.

"It's better than letting it roam free in this world." Zi-O replied while equipping his Zikan Gilade Zyu Mode.

"Serena, you'd better stay back for now. I can still keep going." Kanade requested while equipping her spear.

"No, I'm not running away from this." Serena refused while shaking her head. "I'll keep on fighting till the very end." She declared while equipping her knife.

"Then we're in an agreement there." Kanade replied with a confident smile as she and Serena regrouped next to the Kamen Riders.

Gunvolt and Copen looked at each other for a moment before nodding in agreement and equipped their guns.

"Wait a second, don't tell me you're all gonna fight that thing?! You've just finished your battle with Zonda earlier!" Xiao asked them with worry.

"Sorry Xiao, but it's like what Zi-O just said earlier, if we let this thing run freely, more and more innocent people are gonna get hurt. It must be eliminated, here and now." Gunvolt replied with determination on his face.

"Nori, Xiao, take Mytyl safely out of The Garden and back to the medical facility for a check up. Me and the others have one final target to eliminate." Copen requested them.

"I'll be right beside Boss and the others as always." Lola added.

"It shall be done." Nori responded Copen with a bow before picking up Mytyl in a bridal carry.

"Copen... Everyone..." Mytyl spoke to the heroes, gaining their attention. "Don't give up... Please win... I'll be waiting for you..."

"Mytyl..." The heroes replied as Copen walked towards her sister and patted her head gently.

"Don't worry, we'll be back soon. I promise." Copen assured her sister with a small smile, gaining a nod and a smile from her.

"Come on, Nori. Let's get outta here." Xiao said as he and Nori quickly escorted Mytyl out of the Throne Room, leaving behind the heroes as they faced Laius in their combat stances.

"Alright team, you all ready to finally end this?!" Zi-O yelled.

"YEAH!"

"We're right behind you!" Gunvolt, Copen and Lola responded.

"We're in this together!" Kanade and Serena also responded.

"Well then, let's Ragna-Rock and Roll!" Zi-O declared as he, Geiz and Copen began firing their guns onto Lauis. However, Lauis managed to block all of their shots with its shield while moving forward.

Gunvolt fired his Dart Leader on Laius' shield to tag it before unleashing his Flashfield to electrocute the chimera. "Copen, tag its shield! We need to destroy it!" Gunvolt suggested.

In response, Copen performed his Bullit Dash towards Lauis. However, just before Copen reached the chimera, it countered with a roundhouse kick to Copen's face, sending him flying and crashing to a nearby wall.

"Boss!" Lola yelled with worry.

"Copen!" The rest of the heroes also yelled.

Laius slowly moved forward towards them, ignoring Gunvolt's electricity to no effect. "This isn't good! My Flashfield is not affecting it at all!" Gunvolt informed as he stopped using his Flashfield to save his energy.

"Then we'll just have to go close range! Serena, back me up!" Kanade declared as she ran towards Laius while she threw her spear above before it multiplied and rained down multiple spears onto the chimera.

**STARDUST∞FOTON**

"Okay!" Serena responded as she ran behind Kanade while launching several knives at Laius.

Lauis began to block the attacks with its shield while Kanade took her chance to get close to it while it was distracted from blocking the spears and knives. Kanade performed a quick spear thrust onto it, but the chimera dodged the attack and countered back with a spin slash. Kanade barely blocked the attack as she was skidded back a few feet from the impact while Laius slowly walked towards her. Until it was struck from behind by Serena as she unleashed a light energy blast from below its feet.

**SILKY†RAY**

Lauis quickly turned around and began to walk towards Serena while she began her combat stance. Then Kanade took her chance as she jumped high and above the chimera and unleashed a powerful red tornado onto Lauis before landing beside Serena.

**LAST∞METEOR**

"Hope it was enough..." Kanade said as smoke covered around the chimera. But then Lauis quickly rushed out of the smoke and countered with a powerful charging shield bash that was so fast that the Symphogears were too late to evade or block it. The attack sent them flying and crashing to the ground, knocking them out cold and unable to fight. The attack also powered down their Symphogear armours and back into their civilian forms with dirt marks all over their clothes and their faces.

"Kanade!/Serena!" Zi-O and Geiz yelled with worry before they turned their sights onto Lauis as it slowly approached Gunvolt and the Kamen Riders next.

"Damn it, that power boost Eins mentioned is no joke!" Gunvolt muttered.

"GV, go help Copen! We'll distract the chimera!" Geiz adviced him.

"Okay!" Gunvolt nodded back before running towards Copen to help him recover.

"Ugh, and this chimera is supposed to be a cakewalk compared to everything else!" Zi-O complained as he changed his Zikan Gilade to Ken Mode.

"Not everything will go the way we hoped. And they can be a real bitch to deal with!" Geiz replied.

"In that case, might as well try anyway!" Zi-O declared as he ran towards Laius.

"Better than doing nothing, at least!" Geiz replied back as he also ran towards the chimera.

* * *

Meanwhile, Gunvolt and Lola managed to help Copen recover with their healing skills. "You alright, Copen?" Gunvolt asked.

"Ugh... more or less..." Copen replied as he dusted off his body. "That was one nasty kick that chimera did to me."

"I never expected that thing to do that." Lola pointed out.

"What happened to the others?" Copen asked.

"Kanade and Serena are down for the count with their Symphogear armours disabled. While Zi-O and Geiz are trying to take down the chimera." Gunvolt informed.

"What?! Damn it! Just how gacking strong is that thing?!" Copen frowned in response. "Let's just hope the Kamen Riders can handle it."

"I dunno. Something tells me that it won't be enough." Lola stated with uncertainty as they watched the Riders fight while recovering.

* * *

"Let's go, Legion!" Geiz called forth the Axe Legion and sent it to astral chain bind Lauis with a swipe of his left hand. As the Legion was busy assaulting the binded chimera with it's axe, Geiz offered his hand to Zi-O. "Grab on and hold tight, Zi-O!"

Zi-O responded and grabbed Geiz's hand before he commanded the Axe Legion to pull the astral chain. The Legion pulled the chain, sending the Kamen Riders flying quickly and towards it and the chimera. But just as the Kamen Riders are about to deliver a double melee strike onto Laius with their weapons, it immediately broke free of the astral chains, staggering the Axe Legion before delivering another roundhouse kick to it, sending the Legion flying and colliding with the Riders. Laius then followed up by unleashing a powerful horizontal slash wave onto the Riders and the Legion, sending them crashing into a wall before falling to the ground unconscious with the Legion disappearing back into the Legatus due to loss of energy. The attack also disabled their transformation and back into their civilian forms with dirt marks all over their faces and their clothes.

"Zeo!/Gaius!" Gunvolt and Copen yelled with worry.

"Uh... guys...? I hate to be the bearer of bad news but... I think we're next!" Lola informed them with panic as Laius turned its attention towards them and taunted them by banging its shield with its sword.

"Seeing that chimera with a large shield like that makes me wonder what ever happened to your shield, Copen." Gunvolt commented.

"This battlesuit I'm wearing IS my shield." Copen replied. "I had to revamp my gear from scratch after it was destroyed during my fight against a very powerful Adept. The other Azure Striker."

"The other... Azimov?!" Gunvolt exclaimed in shock when he remembered about another Azure Striker besides himself.

"You know him?" Copen asked.

"He used to be my commanding officer during my time at QUILL. But then he planned to kill me and Joule, and take over Sumeragi to eradicate all of humanity for their crimes, right after I defeated Nova." Gunvolt explained. "He also used your gun to kill me and Joule, which is why my Prevasion won't work on that bullet. Somehow, I managed to survive thanks to the necklace Joule gave me but... her human body is gone, leaving behind her Muse Septima spirit, Lumen, as she went inside me. When I confronted Azimov one last time, we were evenly matched. But I managed to pull through and defeated him after a very long power struggle."

"So that's what happened. That explains why I saw blood on my gun when I found him." Copen replied.

"Yeah... I had to do it before he could harm any more innocent people." Gunvolt admitted.

"You did the right thing, GV." Lola told him. "Besides, who knows what would happen if he took over Sumeragi."

"Propably a lot worse than what Zonda did." Copen answered Lola before he turned to Gunvolt. "Either way, I'm glad you've survived that shot and defeated Azimov, Gunvolt. Even I think that an Adept like you didn't desverve to die like that."

"Thanks, Copen, Lola." Gunvolt thanked them with a small smile before they turned their serious attention to Laius and into their combat stances. "Alright, it's time we finish this together!"

"Right, we're not giving up yet!" Copen responded with determination.

"Let's do this for Joule, Mytyl, and all of our friends!" Lola also responded.

Laius readied his shield again and performed another charging shield bash towards Gunvolt, Copen and Lola. They managed to jump away from the attack as Gunvolt moved left while Copen and Lola moved right. Copen then used his Hailstorm Blade Ex Weapon and unleashed several icy slash wave towards the chimera, but he used its large sword to cut away the slash waves with ease. While Lauis is focused on Copen, Gunvolt took his chance and launched his Dragonsphere towards Laius as the attack exploded into a Crashbolt when it struck the chimera's back. However, Laius didn't even flinch as it backflipped over Gunvolt and delivered a roundhouse kick to his chest as Gunvolt turned around, sending him flying towards Copen and Lola. But Copen managed to catch Gunvolt as he skidded a few feet back. When Gunvolt put his feet on the ground, he, Copen and Lola saw that Laius is about to strike them from above with a powerful overhead slash. In response, Gunvolt and Lola unleashed their Flashfield to block the oncoming attack, however the Flashfield is slowly breaking apart as Laius' sword draws closer to them.

"This isn't good! Our combined Flashfield won't last much longer!" Lola informed them with panic while blocking.

"Gunvolt, any ideas?!" Copen asked, hoping for a way out.

"Just one! I've got enough energy for one more skill!" Gunvolt informed them while blocking.

"Then make it count!" Copen quickly agreed.

"Oversurge, Azure Striker! **Astrasphere!**" Gunvolt shouted as he unleashed an even bigger lightning sphere along with three small lightning spheres around himself, Copen and Lola while blocking and damaging Laius.

"Come on, GV! Hang in there!" Lola supported Gunvolt.

"I'm giving it my all here!" He replied as he continued to unleash the Astrasphere, but it's growing weaker and weaker as the chimera's sword draws closer and closer.

"Don't give up, Gunvolt! We can't lose here!" Copen told him with support. _"I'm sorry, Mytyl, Nori, everyone... I know that we promised to never give up and win, but..."_ All hope seems lost, until something started to glow on Copen's and Gunvolt's chest. "Huh...?" When Copen took out what was hiding on his chest, it was the Crimson Necklace glowing again, just like what happened earlier with Mytyl. "The Crimson Necklace...?

Gunvolt also noticed the glow on his chest but he was busy using his Astrasphere to block Laius' attack. "Huh? What is glowing...?" Eventually, both necklaces began to glow so bright that it engulfed the entire Throne Room in a red and blue light.

* * *

"Gah!" Gunvolt immediately woke up in shock before blinking for a moment and realised that he was lying down in an unknown white void. "What the... where am I?" He asked himself as he stood up and looked around the area, curious to know what just happened. Eventually, he noticed Copen in the distance who was passed out before running towards him to wake him up. "Hey, Copen! Wake up!" Gunvolt yelled as he shook Copen a bit until he opened his eyes and saw Gunvolt.

"G-Gunvolt? Is that you?" Copen responded before Gunvolt offered a hand to him. He took his hand and slowly stood up before shaking his head a bit and looked around the white void. "What just happened, and where are we?" Copen asked.

"I don't know." Gunvolt answered. "Last I remembered was using my Astrasphere as a last resort, but then I felt something glowing."

"I felt that glow too, and I know what it was." Copen replied back as he brought out what was glowing on his chest earlier. "The Azure and Crimson Necklaces."

"I see, so it was because of this." Gunvolt responded as he took out his Azure Necklace hiding on his chest. "But why did it glow earlier?"

"I'm not really sure..." Copen answered, but then noticed that someone else is missing. "Wait a minute, where's Lola?"

"Huh? I thought she was with us earlier." Gunvolt assumed as he and Copen looked around for Lola.

"I'm over here, guys!" Lola responded as she floated towards them, gaining their attention.

"Lola!" Gunvolt responded.

"Phew... Thank goodness you're still in one piece." Copen said with relief.

"Yeah, took a while to find you guys." Lola told them before looking around. "Anyone of you know where we are?"

"Sorry, we can't figure out where we are either." Gunvolt answered as he and Copen shook their head.

"I see." Lola replied before she gasped. "Wait... we're not dead, are we?!"

"Wait, hold on! We're not sure if we're dead yet!" Copen assured Lola to calm down.

"Uh, guys? Someone's coming this way." Gunvolt informed them as he saw someone walking closer towards them. Copen was about to take out his gun and retaliate, but Gunvolt raised his hand and stopped him to wait and see.

The person walked closer before stopping so that they can see who it was and what the person looked like, revealing to be a tall and older woman. She had long white-blonde hair that goes past her hips, styled in a hime cut that parts into two 'curtains' down her back; gold serpentine eyes; slightly white skin; and pink lipstick on her lips. She's also wearing a priestess outfit consisting of a white hood with a short cloak, a long white skirt, a 'knot' at the center where several teal-striped white strips originate to loop around her front and arms, and gold necklaces adorned with jewelry of different colors.

"Oh my, I never expected to run into visitors here." She spoke to them.

"Uh... sorry for disturbing your private space?" Lola replied.

"It's alright." She replied back. "May I ask for your names please?"

"Oh, okay. My name is Lola, a combat pod. And these two over here are Gunvolt and Copen."

"Hi there./Hello." Gunvolt and Copen greeted.

"Good to meet you." She replied with a nod. "My name is Ryoko Sakurai, but you can call me by my real name; Finé."

"Finé, huh?" Copen repeated her name, while Gunvolt blinked a few times at a familiar name.

"Wait a minute. Did you just say that your name is Ryoko Sakurai?" Gunvolt asked.

"It was my other name, but yes." Finé answered. "You spoke as if you've heard my name before."

"Yeah, Kanade told me about you back at my apartment. She was working alongside you during her time in the 2nd Division." Gunvolt revealed, making Finé's eyes widen in shock at a familiar name.

"What?! Kanade... is alive...?!" She exclaimed. "But how...?"

"Our allies, the Kamen Riders, found her and another girl named Serena, being mind-controlled as Another Riders. They were able to free them, thankfully." Copen explained.

"I see... Wait, Serena? Are you referring to Serena Cadenzavna Eve?" Finé questioned him.

"You know her too?!" Copen responded with shock.

"She was very young when I last saw her." Finé replied back.

"Wow, you knew Kanade AND Serena? I never expected that. Serena never did tell me and Boss about you as Ryoko." Lola commented.

"Like I said, she was very young at the time, so that's understandable if she didn't remember me." Finé replied to Lola before asking another question. "Anyway, where are they now?"

"Unfortunately, not in a good way." Gunvolt grimly answered. "Us, Kanade, Serena and the Kamen Riders were all fighting a very powerful creature, a chimera named Laius. It already defeated the girls and the Riders, leaving us to be the last ones standing. I was using my Astrasphere skill as a last resort to block the chimera's attack, until these special necklaces that me and Copen were wearing began to glow so bright that we can't see a thing. And the next thing we knew, we woke up here."

"I see. So that's what happened to them and how you three ended up here." Finé commented, gaining a nod from the group. "Where did you get those necklaces?"

"It was a gift for good luck. I got the Azure Necklace from my friend, Quinn." Gunvolt answered.

"And I got the Crimson Necklace from my sister, Mytyl. Though she gave it to Nori first before being kidnapped." Copen also answered.

"Is it alright if I could borrow your necklaces for a moment?" Finé requested.

"If you can find out what's special about these necklaces, then go right ahead." Copen agreed as he and Gunvolt took off their necklaces and gave them to Finé.

Finé began to concentrate onto the necklaces to sense their hidden power, and when she finished, she felt surprised at what she found. _"To think that the Relic fragments were able to scatter to other worlds and dimensions as well. How unexpected..."_

"Well? Did you figure it out, Finé?" Lola asked.

"I do." Finé confirmed with a serious look. "What I'm about to reveal may leave you all in a state of shock. Are you all prepared?"

Gunvolt turned to Copen and Lola for an agreement. They responded with a nod before he turned back to Finé. "We are. Just tell us what you've found." Gunvolt replied in agreement, with Copen and Lola nodding in response.

"Very well then." Finé nodded back and began her explanation. "The Azure and Crimson Necklaces you boys are wearing, they are originally not from this world. They are from _my_ world, the world of the Symphogears."

"What!? So these necklaces are from Kanade and Serena's world?!" Lola questioned in shock.

"That is correct." Finé answered with a nod. "As for what these necklaces really are, they are actually fragments of Relics. For the Azure Necklace, it was Gungnir. And for the Crimson Necklace, it was Airgetlám."

"Gungnir?!/Airgetlám?!" Gunvolt and Copen were in complete shock that the necklaces that they were wearing the entire time, were actually Relics! But not just any Relics, they have the same names as the Relics Kanade and Serena were using!

"An Azure Gungnir and a Crimson Airgetlám?!" Lola exclaimed in shock at Finé's discovery. "So that explains why those necklaces are so special, they're actually Relics! Not only that, some of Mytyl's Septima went into both of those Relics!"

"Is that so?" Finé questioned Lola curiously.

"Uh... yeah. Mytyl's Septima is called The Muse before it was transferred to a girl named Joule." Lola explained. "The power of her song can boost Gunvolt and Copen's power immensely."

"I see." Finé understood. _"The power of her song, huh? Could she also generate Phonic Gain as well?"_

"Is something on your mind?" Gunvolt asked Finé.

"Actually, yes." She replied. "It reminded me of a similar power the Symphogears use. It's called, **Phonic Gain**."

"Phonic Gain?" The group repeated as Finé responded with a nod.

"In the meantime, could you explain how Kanade and Serena were alive in the first place?" Finé asked them.

"Well, according to Kamen Rider Geiz's theory, it was because of the Dimensional Quakes that happened across the multiverse." Copen explained. "It was because of those quakes that some people who were thought to be dead were brought back to life."

"So that explains how they are alive and well." Finé replied with surprise. "And their Relics?"

"The Relics were repaired too, with no setbacks or faults." Gunvolt answered. "Though I never thought the girls were found and captured by The Neo Time Jackers first."

"The Neo Time Jackers... So those people are the ones responsible for this entire mess?" Finé asked with a frown.

"Yeah. And we ran into one of their generals earlier. His name is Eins." Copen explained. "He said that he was looking for a Distortion Fragment in our world while making trouble for us, and especially the Kamen Riders."

"A Distortion... Fragment?" Finé repeated.

"Yeah, luckily we managed to get the Distortion Fragment first and sealed it inside a Distortion Ridewatch." Lola added.

Finé took a moment to ponder at what the group explained as she placed her hand on her chin. _"A Distortion Fragment... The Dimensional Quakes... No... It can't be...! Did something happen to THAT Relic?!"_ Finé's eyes widen in complete shock and realisation.

"Finé? What's wrong?" Gunvolt asked with worry.

"Sorry, I'm fine." Finé assured the group that she's okay and regained her composure. "After what you've all told me, it reminded me of a very powerful Complete Relic back in my world. Something must have happened to it."

"What was that Relic called?" Copen asked.

"I'll explain about it soon." Finé assured them. "But first, there's something I need to do with your Relics. I'm about to awaken their dormant powers."

"Awaken... their powers?" The group repeated.

"Before you go back and fight that chimera, you're going to need something to fight back." Finé explained.

"Are you going to give us Symphogear armours like Kanade and Serena?" Gunvolt asked.

"Actually, I'll be giving you both another armour instead. It's called, the **Faust Robe**." Finé answered.

"Faust... Robe...?" The group repeated.

"It's similar to the Symphogear system, but the only difference is that the Faust Robe does not need a Relic Chant to activate the armour." Finé explained. "But it does need one other thing to use the Faust Robe."

"And that is...?" Lola said.

"A female body." Finé answered.

"Oh." The grouped replied.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"EEEHHHH?!" ...Before they comically screamed at what Finé just revealed. Gunvolt and Copen need to have a female body to use the Faust Robes?!

"Now wait just a moment there, Finé! Gunvolt and Copen need to become females to use the Faust Robes?!" Lola yelled in horror.

"Don't get any funny ideas, Lola!" Copen yelled at the combat pod.

"Us?! Females?! You're not gacking serious are you, Finé?!" Gunvolt yelled while pointing at her who was busy laughing. "That's not funny, damn it!"

"Ahahaha! Sorry about that! I guess I still have a bit of Ryoko's personality inside of me." Finé apologised while laughing for a bit before stopping. "Okay, let's all take a deep breath and calm down for a moment."

The group slowly stopped panicking and followed Finé's advice until they are able to calm down.

"Feel better?" Finé asked the group.

"Yeah, we're fine now." Gunvolt replied to Finé after everyone took a deep breath. "Anyway, just to confirm, are you really sure that only females can use the Faust Robes?"

"I'm afraid that's true, Gunvolt. It's because the male body does not have the necessary biological compatibility with a protector created and affixed through energy, thereby making the female form the most ideal choice." Finé explained why. "But... I think I might have an idea."

"What do you have in mind, Finé?" Copen questioned. "And it had better not be turning me and Gunvolt into females."

"Don't worry, it's not that idea, I promise." Finé assured while chuckling a bit. "You've all told me that The Muse Septima went inside the Relics, correct?" She asked, gaining a nod from the group. "Then, maybe there is a way to bypass that restriction."

"There's a way?!" The group responded.

"But first, I will need to awaken the Relics. Give me a few moments, please." Finé instructed them before she focused her energy onto the Relics, which made them glow brightly in a red and blue light. After a few moments, the Relics briefly showed insignias of Gungnir and Airgetlám before it faded and stopped glowing. "Alright, the process is complete. The Relics should be ready for use now." Finé informed them before returning the Relics to Gunvolt and Copen as they wore back the Relics around their necks.

"So, what next?" Gunvolt asked Finé.

"Simple, you're going to awaken The Muse Septima." She instructed him.

"Wait, Joule's still alive?!" Lola exclaimed, which made Gunvolt's and Copen's eyes widen in shock. "But I thought she's gone!"

"Not technically gone, but went back into a deep slumber." Finé stated.

"So... she's still alive, but now asleep?" Gunvolt questioned, until Copen gave him a pat on the shoulder.

"Gunvolt, you're the only one who can do it. I'm counting on you." Copen adviced him with trust. "We can't use the Faust Robes without Joule's help."

Gunvolt gave a quick thought about Finé's instruction and Copen's advice as he placed his hand on his chin, until he made a decision with a determined look. "Alright, I'll do it. I'm gonna bring Joule back." Gunvolt declared before asking Finé again. "So, what do I have to do to wake up Joule?"

"You will need to sing a very sacred song." Finé replied.

"And that song is...?" Gunvolt said.

"...The **Superb Song**."

"What?!" The group were shocked at Finé's answer. Kanade and Serena told the group of what that song can do, but it can be very dangerous if used carelessly.

"Please. It's the only song you'll need to sing to awaken The Muse, there is no other way." Finé stated. "However, I will teach you how to use it properly."

"I see... Well, if you're going to teach Gunvolt on how to use the Superb Song properly, then I guess it's safe to try... hopefully." Copen commented to Finé.

"Not only that, GV's a good singer when he sang one of Joule's song." Lola pointed out, remembering the final battle with Zonda where he sang Joule's song to weaken her.

"Is that so?" Finé questioned with her eyebrow raised. "Then you should be just fine if you can follow my instructions properly, Gunvolt."

"As you wish, Finé." Gunvolt answered Finé with a nod. "Also, you can also call me GV if you want."

"Very well then, GV." Finé replied back with a smile before closing her eyes. "Alright, close your eyes and repeat after me."

Gunvolt nodded back and closed his eyes before awaiting the next step from Finé.

_"Gatrandis babel ziggurat edenal... Emustolronzen Finé el balal zizzl..."_ Finé sang.

_"Gatrandis babel ziggurat edenal... Emustolronzen Finé el balal zizzl..."_ Gunvolt repeated.

_"Gatrandis babel ziggurat edenal... Emustolronzen Finé el zizzl..."_ Finé finished the song.

_"Gatrandis babel ziggurat edenal... Emustolronzen Finé el zizzl..."_ Gunvolt repeated again before he and Finé opened their eyes. "Did... I get the song right?"

"Yes, you certainly did." Finé replied to him. "Lola was right. You really are a good singer when you sing."

"Do you have to mention that extra detail, Lola?" Copen deadpanned at the battle pod.

"Oh, come on! Even I think that he was a good singer!" Lola pointed out to Copen, which made Finé chuckle a bit.

"Now then, GV. Are you prepared?" Finé asked Gunvolt in a serious tone.

Gunvolt gave her an understanding nod before he walked towards Copen. "Copen, could you close your eyes for a minute?" Gunvolt adviced him, before giving an understanding nod and closed his eyes. Gunvolt then closed his eyes once more and prepared to sing the Superb Song. _"Joule... It's time for you to awaken once more... We need your powers again..."_

And then, Gunvolt began to sing...

_Gatrandis babel ziggurat edenal... _

_Emustolronzen Finé el balal zizzl..._

_Gatrandis babel ziggurat edenal... _

_Emustolronzen Finé el zizzl..._

And once the Superb Song is sung, the Azure and Crimson Relics began to glow brightly once more before they shoot a red and blue light into the air as the lights became an azure butterfly and a crimson phoenix, flying in a spiral before slowly descending into the ground and in front of everyone. Gunvolt and Copen immediately opened their eyes before gazing at the light in front of them as it slowly fades away. And when the light disappeared, all that's left is a person. A person that Copen, Lola and especially Gunvolt knew all too well with their expressions showing complete disbelief. _"No gacking way... is that really her...?!"_ Gunvolt thought.

That person, turned out to be the reawakened Muse Septima herself, Joule, with her other name being known as Lumen. She now looks like a 17 year old, has longer blonde ponytail hair while still wearing the same accessories as before but bigger, larger butterfly wings that are gleaming blue with a sea blue on its borders and white details. She's also wearing a bigger white dress with blue and purple stripes and white triangle details at the end of her skirt. She also wears grey and blue sleeves on her arms and white and blue long socks with blue and black shoes.

Joule opened her eyes before blinking a bit and took a quick look at herself. "I'm... I'm alive? With all of my powers returned?" She spoke before noticing the group and felt completely shocked. "GV...? Copen...? Lola...?"

Gunvolt greeted the speechless Joule with a smile and his arms crossed. "Enjoyed your beauty sleep, Joule? Kept you waiting, didn't I?" He quipped.

The moment Gunvolt greeted Joule, she broke down in tears, ran towards him and hugged him in a loving embrace. "GV...!" She cried.

"Welcome back, Joule... It's good to see you again." Gunvolt replied while shedding a few tears himself.

Copen watched their reunion with a small smile on his face, while Lola cried with relief that Joule is back. As for Finé, she also had a small smile and shed a few tears, remembering her love with a Custodian man named Enki. Finé wiped away her tears before clearing her throat a bit, gaining the group's attention. "As much as I hate to interrupt this tearful reunion, we need to proceed with the next step to activate the Faust Robes." Finé reminded them before she turned to Joule. "Also, it's very nice to meet you, Joule. You can call me Finé."

"Oh, umm... it's nice to meet you too, Finé." Joule stuttered a bit before returning the greeting as she let go of Gunvolt and wiped away her tears. Everyone regrouped in front of Finé as she was about to inform them the next step.

"First off, how are you feeling now, Joule?" Finé asked.

"Well, I feel like most of my powers are returned, but I think I have too much power right now." Joule answered.

"It was because that you now have the powers of both Relics, the Azure Gungnir and Crimson Airgetlám, inside of you." Copen stated to Joule, which made her eyes widen at the familiar names of the Relics.

"Copen is correct." Finé confirmed. "Having too much power can be dangerous if not controlled properly."

"So what do I have to do?" Joule asked Finé.

"Hmm... I have an idea." Lola said, gaining everyone's attention. "How about you give me all of Crimson Airgetlám's power along with some of your Septima, Joule?"

"You're planning on getting your Idol Form back?" Copen guessed, earning a nod from Lola.

"Yup, that way I can support you with my singing again, along with being able to access your Faust Robe." Lola explained to Copen. "She can keep Azure Gungnir's power so that GV can use the Faust Robe."

"Hmm... not a bad idea." Copen agreed before he turned to Gunvolt. "What do you think, Gunvolt?"

"I think I'll leave the decision up to Joule." Gunvolt replied before he turned to Joule. "So, wanna give it a shot?"

Joule began to ponder about Lola's suggestion as she placed her hand on her chin. After a few moments of thinking, she put her hand down and made her decision. "Alright Lola, let's try it." She answered.

"Great! I'm sure this will work!" Lola happily replied.

"I'd suggest you boys step back for a moment. Joule needs to concentrate." Finé adviced Gunvolt and Copen, who responded with a nod as they take a few steps away from Joule and Lola.

"Now then, hold still please. This will only take a moment." Joule instructed Lola before closing her eyes.

"Okay, got it." Lola responded as Joule raised her hands towards the battle pod and started concentrating her Septima to begin the power transfer. And then, Joule and Lola began to glow brightly in a blue and red aura before the lights engulfed the area, making Gunvolt, Copen and Finé to cover their eyes.

And when they uncovered their eyes, they were surprised at what happened. The Septima transfer was successful and Lola regained her Idol Form. Both Joule and Lola slowly opened their eyes as the transfer is complete with Lola taking a quick look at her reawakened Idol Form. She looks the same as before but with some slight changes, with the most noticeable ones being that her Speaker Pods are now joined together by an large orange ring that hovers behind her back. Joule also noticed that Lola's eyes are now blue instead of purple.

Gunvolt whistled at Lola's new Idol Form and commented, "Wow, so that's her new look, huh? Gotta admit, she looks pretty cool. What do you think, Copen? Uh... Copen?"

Copen didn't get to hear Gunvolt's comment as he himself was at a loss for words when gazing at Lola's new form.

"Well, Lola? How do you feel?" Joule asked.

"I feel... kind of different than last time." Lola spoke before she gasped that she spoke not in her usual robotic tone, but a more human tone. "My voice... it's way different than before...!"

"Well I think that your new voice is beautiful, and cute too." Joule remarked with a smile, which made Lola blush a bit.

"Y-You don't have to praise me like that, Joule!" Lola blushed before being given a gentle hug from Joule.

"You've been doing a great job taking care of my powers. So consider it a bonus gift from me to you." Joule told Lola with a smile.

"Thanks, Joule. I'm really glad you're alive." Lola smiled back before letting go of their hug and floating towards Gunvolt and the speechless Copen. "Well boys? What do you think of the new and improved Lola?" She asked them while doing a quick twirl on herself.

"You're looking great, Lola. Also, loved the new eyes and voice." Gunvolt commented with a smile.

"Thanks for the compliment, GV!" Lola cheerfully replied back before noticing a speechless Copen. "Uhh... Boss? Booosss?" She tried to respond to him.

"Let me help you with that." Gunvolt told Lola before he gently tasered Copen's butt with his finger to snap him out of a trance.

"Ow! What was that for?!" Copen retorted at Gunvolt while rubbing his tasered butt.

"Lola wanted to hear your opinion on her new Idol Form." Gunvolt replied before Copen turned to Lola for an answer.

"Um... well... you look... great." Copen tried to answer while hiding away his blushing face.

"Come on, Copen. Don't be such a tsundere." Lola told Copen while crossing her arms.

"I'm not a tsundere!" Copen retorted before being hugged by Lola which made him feel surprised.

_"Copen, the Luminous Avenger and former Adept Slayer, a gacking tsundere? Well, that's new."_ Gunvolt thought with a raised eyebrow.

"You know what, it doesn't matter. I'm just glad to have this form again just so I can hug you like this." Lola said with a smile while hugging Copen.

"Heh, if that's okay with you, then it's fine with me." Copen replied back with a smile before letting go of the hug. "So Finé, what's the next step?"

"Now all there is left is to summon your Faust Robes." Finé explained as everyone regrouped in front of her. "Gunvolt, Copen, grab hold of your Relics and focus your concentration onto them. That will allow you to summon your Faust Robes."

Gunvolt and Copen responded to Finé's instruction as they grab hold of their Relics and began their concentration onto them. Before long, Joule and Lola began to glow before disappearing into the respective Relics. Joule with Azure Gungnir and Lola with Crimson Airgetlám. Once they were inside the Relics, Gunvolt and Copen began to glow in a bright blue and red light. And when the lights disappeared, Finé saw that Gunvolt and Copen, with their eyes closed, had successfully activated their Faust Robes.

Gunvolt is now wearing a mostly dark blue and sky blue bodysuit covering his entire body. He's also wearing black armed boots with blue highlights with azure blue knee guards, each with a diamond shaped azure blue crystal. His forearms were armed with slightly bulky azure blue and black battle gauntlets with braces covering his knuckles. He's also wearing a mostly blue and black chestplate with shoulder pads with an 'X' shaped azure blue crystal slightly above the center of the chestplate and near his neck. On his back are small thrusters that can generate azure blue butterfly wings for speed and flight. On his head, he's wearing dark blue and sky blue butterfly winged shaped headphones and also wearing on his neck is a long mostly white and sky blue scarf with the scarf ends having diamond shaped azure blue crystals. There are also a holster for his gun on his right hip and a holster for another weapon on his back hip. As for said another weapon, it was his new weapon he's holding on his left hand, the Armed Gear; a large black and blue highlighted sword that looks like a Septima Glaive, with a diamond shaped azure blue crystal on the center. On his right hand, he's holding an upgraded version of his Dart Leader, the **Lightning Leader**; which looks a bit similar to the Dart Leader with the same colors, but a bit more bulky and has three azure blue spikes on the underside of the gun barrel.

As for Copen, he's now wearing a mostly black and white bodysuit covering his entire body. He's also wearing crimson red armed boots with thrusters on each opposite end of his lower knees. He also has silver colored knee guards, each with a cross shaped crimson red crystal. He's also wearing a crimson red gauntlet on his fight forearm while his left forearm has a slightly more bulky crimson red and white gauntlet along with a crimson red and white bulky shoulder pad. He's also wearing a mostly silver colored chestplate with along with a right shoulder pad with a large crimson red highlighted 'X' mark on his chestplate, and an 'X' shaped crimson red crystal slightly above the large 'X' on his chestplate and near his neck. On his back are also thrusters that can generate crimson red phoenix wings for speed and flight. On his head, he's wearing crimson red and white phoenix winged shaped headphones. He has a holster for his gun on his left hip, while on his left hand is holding an upgraded version of his gun called, the **Burning Divider**; which is a bit similar to his old gun, but a bit more bulky and has three crimson red spikes on the underside of the gun barrel. As for what's on his right wrist, he's holding an Armed Gear; a silver colored shield with a large crimson red 'X' shaped crystal on the center, which looks a bit similar to his old shield, the Aix Gear.

When Gunvolt and Copen opened their eyes, they took a quick look at each other before looking at themselves wearing the Faust Robes and holding their new weapons in complete shock and awe.

"My my, don't you both look dashing on your Faust Robes." Finé commented on Gunvolt's and Copen's Faust Robes with a smile. "If my husband Enki were here to see this, he would definitely approve of you both being knights."

"Wait, you have a husband?" Gunvolt questioned her.

"Well, of course. We're still humans who are able to fall in love with one another." Finé answered as the boys holstered their weapons.

"I see." Gunvolt replied back, before noticing that someone was missing as he looked around. "Wait a minute, where's Joule?"

"Lola's gone too!" Copen added while looking around.

_"We're over here, guys!"_ Lola contacted from... somewhere.

_"Look at the 'x' crystal on your chestplates!"_ Joule instructed them, making them look at the 'x' shaped crystals as they began to blink when Joule and Lola spoke. _"Ah, there you go. You found us."_

"How and when did you girls get in there?" Gunvolt asked the two idols.

_"I guess we were bonded with the Relics that we disappeared into the crystals."_ Joule guessed.

_"This feels SUPER weird when I'm not in a battle pod." _Lola remarked.

"Can you girls still appear in Idol Form right next to us?" Copen questioned the idols.

_"Hold on, give us a moment to try this out."_ Joule answered before she and Lola appeared right next to their partners in their Idol Forms. "Phew... There we go. We can still do that."

"Ahh... much better." Lola said while stretching her arms.

"Thanks for teaching us how to use the Faust Robes, Finé." Gunvolt thanked her as everyone turned to her.

"With this, that chimera will have no such chance to defeat us." Copen added.

"It's my pleasure." Finé replied back with a smile before she turned serious. "Now, I believe it's time I explained what the Complete Relic was that I mentioned earlier."

"We're ready to listen." Lola responded as everyone nodded, though Joule was a bit clueless on what she just missed.

"Um, did I miss hearing something important?" Joule asked the group.

"Not much. Finé is about to reveal what the Dimensional Fragments really are. The ones the Kamen Riders and the Symphogears were looking for in our world." Gunvolt reminded Joule.

"Ah, okay."

"It all happened during the time when I was still Ryoko Sakurai, and a few months before the Zwei Wing concert incident." Finé explained. "During one of my Relic excavations, I've stumbled upon a very rare ancient artifact that was active and one of the most powerful Complete Relics ever created."

"And the name of that Relic is...?" Lola said before Finé revealed the name of the Relic to the group.

"**Gjallarhorn**."

"Gjallarhorn..." The group repeated the name of the Relic.

"Gjallarhorn is a unique and very dangerous Relic, the power to connect to other worlds and dimensions." Finé explained. "That Relic was highly classified, so it was experimented in absolute secrecy in an unknown location, and only a few selected people knew about its existence. Me, and my former partner, Genjuro Kazanari, were one of those people."

"Tsubasa's uncle?" Gunvolt questioned, remembering the people Kanade met before when she told him. "Kanade told me about him before."

"I see." Finé replied before continuing her explanation. "Anyway, Gjallarhorn can only react when an abnormality occurs from another world, opening a path to said world. So far, it only happened twice when the Noise appeared from the other worlds."

"The Noise, huh? What was the first one?" Copen asked her, while he remembered the Noise from Kanade and Serena's explanation from before.

"The first abnormality happened in an unknown world. Kanade was able to resolve it when she crossed through the other world, thankfully with less injuries." Finé answered, which shocked the group at the one who resolved it.

"Kanade?!" The group exclaimed in shock, with Finé confirming with a nod.

"And what was the second one?" Gunvolt asked her.

"It happened during the Zwei Wing concert when me and a few scientists were experimenting the Nehushtan Relic's activation." Finé answered.

"What?!" The group exclaimed in shock again that the abnormality happened during that fateful concert.

"And since then, Gjallarhorn never reacted to any more abnormalities, and was left unattended at a secret unknown location." Finé finished.

"Until the Neo Time Jackers somehow found the location of that Relic and broke it, turning it into a non-complete Relic." Copen pointed out.

"Indeed." Finé responded with a nod. "Then that means that the fragments of Gjallarhorn are now scattered across the multiverse."

"And if left unchecked for too long, the fragments can cause Distortions, which could erase the worlds out of existence." Joule pointed out.

"That is correct, Joule." Finé confirmed with a nod.

This important information left the group speechless. The reason behind those Distortions was because of a very powerful world connecting Relic called Gjallarhorn that are now broken into fragments and scattered across the multiverse. That's the reason why the Kamen Riders decided to accept this important mission to save the other worlds and the multiverse from extinction, with Kanade and Serena volunteering to assist them. They MUST tell them this important information. But then Lola remembered something that Eins mentioned before.

"Wait a moment. There's this one piece of info that's been bugging me after listening to your explanation, Finé." Lola told her.

"And what would that be, Lola?" Finé questioned.

"If I recall what that Neo Time Jacker Eins just said, he was looking for the Distortion Fragments too." Lola pointed out.

"Hey, you're right!" Copen realised what Lola meant. "If that's the case, shouldn't the Neo Time Jackers just steal the Complete Relic in one shot instead of finding the fragments one by one?"

That important piece of detail made Gunvolt, Joule and even Finé's eyes widen in shock.

"You two might be onto something..." Finé replied to Copen and Lola. "If the Neo Time Jackers would just steal the completed Gjallarhorn from the beginning, the multiverse would easily be theirs."

"But instead, their conquest was delayed. Someone else must've broken Gjallarhorn and scattered the fragments to prevent the Neo Time Jackers from stealing it." Gunvolt pointed out.

"In other words... a third party interfered." Joule guessed. "But the question is: Who was that third party?"

Everyone in the area placed their hands on their chins to figure out who was that third party that stopped the Neo Time Jackers from stealing Gjallarhorn. But then Finé noticed that Gunvolt, Copen, Joule and Lola are slowly fading away.

"It seems that time is almost up for the four of you." Finé told the group as they noticed that they are fading away.

"Huh?! What's happening to us?!" Gunvolt asked Finé.

"You will be sent back to when you're fighting that chimera." She answered. "Now that you have the Faust Robes, you should have a chance to fight back. But before you go, I need you all to do a very important favor for me."

"What would that favor be?" Copen asked Finé.

"First off, you're planning to tell Kanade, Serena and the Kamen Riders of what you've learnt during our meeting, correct?" Finé asked the group back as they confirmed with a nod. In response, she took out a small USB Memory Drive from inside her pocket. "Take this with you. It contains the location of the Symphogear world and the last known location of Gjallarhorn before it was broken. Do NOT lose it."

"Understood." Gunvolt replied with a nod as he took the USB Drive from Finé's hand and into his pocket. "Thanks for everything, Finé. We'll take it from here."

"We won't let you down!" Copen added.

"We'll keep an eye on them as always!" Joule assured with a smile.

"And we're gonna show that chimera who's boss!" Lola cheerfully added.

"Thank you, all of you." Finé replied back to the group with a smile. "And when you're travelling to the Symphogear world, do me another favor and give Genjuro my best regards."

"Okay!"

"Good." Finé responded to the group with a smile. "Now allow me to say my final words to you all before you go."

Finé began to speak the same final words she spoke to Hibiki Tachibana before dying. And her final words are...

"Believe in the song of your hearts..."

And with those final words, Gunvolt, Copen, Joule and Lola disappeared, sending them back to their battle with the chimera, Laius.

"Hmhmhm... Wait till Enki hears about this." Finé chuckled a bit before looking up. "And so... a new legend... is about to begin..."

* * *

**The Garden, Throne Room**

Meanwhile, Laius was having trouble trying to break through that sphere of light with its large sword, until the light recoiled the chimera so hard, that it sent the chimera flying before crashing into the ground a few metres away. When Laius slowly stood up, it saw that the light was gone and replaced with two people waiting. It was none other than the fully recovered Gunvolt and Copen, but not in their usual attire. Instead, they are wearing their new Faust Robes, given by the Relic powers of Azure Gungnir and Crimson Airgetlám, with a little help from Finé.

Once Laius saw its targets, it began to perform a charging shield bash towards them. But just before Laius collided with them, Copen used his Armed Gear equipped on his right forearm and parried with a shield counter of his own, staggering the chimera while tagging it and leaving itself wide open. Copen followed up by taking out his Burning Divider with his left hand, pointed the gun at the chimera's chest, and firing several piercing shots at it, with the attack bits assisting with stronger homing lasers. Copen's counter stumbled the chimera a few steps back, making it growl in annoyance.

The chimera then performed a powerful overhead slash onto them, but just before the attack connected, Gunvolt took out his Armed Gear on his back hip with his left hand and parried with an upward vertical slash, making the chimera lose its momentum and left an opening. Then, Gunvolt followed up with a powerful downward vertical lightning slashwave that sent the chimera crashing into a wall, dealing heavy damage to its body.

After that attack, Gunvolt blinked in surprise at what he just did and gazed at his new Armed Gear. "Whoa." Gunvolt commented. "When the gack did I learn to do that?"

_"I think it must be your Armed Gear, allowing you to perform more techniques."_ Joule contacted Gunvolt via his 'x' crystal on his chest.

"Is that so?" Gunvolt replied back.

"You're not the only one, Gunvolt." Copen told him. "The moment I counter shield the chimera with my Armed Gear, it also tagged the target."

_"I guess that means that you don't need to always use your Bullit Dash to tag your targets most of the time. You can also use your shield as well." Lola commented to Copen via 'x' crystal on his chest._

"Glad you got your shield back, but a lot more powerful than before." Gunvolt smirked at Copen.

"You know what? I agree with you." Copen smirked back before looking at the unconscious and powerless Kamen Riders and Symphogears. "I think it's time to wake them up. They do not want to miss some payback."

Gunvolt nodded at Copen in response. "Joule, Lola, care to sing a duet to wake up our friends?"

"Got it!" The two idols responded as they appeared above Gunvolt and Copen while floating.

"See? Told ya you guys would change your mind eventually!" Lola said with excitement, remembering the time they disagreed with the idol duet idea before.

"Well, consider this a special treat for our friends, and a rude awakening for that chimera." Joule replied to Lola with a smile. "With that said..."

"Listen to our song!" The two idols declared as they began to sing their duet.

**ANTHEM**

**(Play BGM: Indigo Destiny (Duet) by Joule and Lola)**

The moment Joule and Lola sang their duet, Gunvolt's and Copen's power skyrocketed to immeasurable levels and boosted their Phonic Gain while generating a radiant azure blue and crimson red aura around themselves. Their auras surged around the entire Throne Room, affecting the unconscious Kamen Riders and Symphogears as the aura began to heal their wounds and recover their stamina and powers in a rapidly faster rate. Eventually, they woke up and began to stand up with their wounds healed and their stamina restored, while also gaining a large power boost thanks to Joule's and Lola's duet. Everyone took a quick look at themselves and each other in their healed state before they turned to the ones who saved them, leaving them with complete shock and awe at what's going on.

"What... the heck...?" Kanade muttered.

"Joule?! Lola?!" Serena exclaimed.

"Hold on, Joule is alive and in full power while Lola got her Idol Form back?!" Zeo also exclaimed.

"Also, what kind of gear Gunvolt and Copen are wearing?!" Gaius added.

Suddenly, something surged onto Kanade and Serena's brain as the aura also regained some of their lost memories, making the girls slightly clutching their heads a bit. "Ugh... Wait... how did I forget some of my memories?" Kanade said.

"Mine too. Including that last part when we last saw our friends while we're still spirits. And I was with you and Mom, we were helping them." Serena added.

"Yeah... But let's not think about it right now. Because I feel like dishing out some payback to that chimera." Kanade declared with a confident grin while cracking her knuckles.

"Then let's join in!" Serena added with a smile before she and Kanade took out their respective Relics again and began their Relic Chant to transform once more.

_"Croitzal __ronzell __Gungnir __zizzl__...__"_

_"Seilien __coffin __Airgetlám __tron__...__"_

They glowed in a bright red and white light, and when the light disappeared, they transformed back into their Symphogear armours with their Armed Gears ready in hand.

Zeo and Gaius gazed at Kanade and Serena, who transformed back into their Symphogear armours. "Looks like the girls are ready to get back into the fray." Zeo pointed out before turning to Gaius. "Let's join the party too!"

"Easier said than done!" Gaius smirked back as they placed their Ziku Drivers onto their waists and strapped in.

**ZIKU DRIVER!**

Next, they took out their Ridewatches, turned the dials and pressed the buttons.

**ZI-O! KAIXA!**

**GEIZ! FAIZ!**

They inserted the Ridewatches onto the belts and slammed the tilt button before performing their henshin poses.

"Henshin!" They shouted before turning the belt 360, triggering their transformations.

**RIDER TIME!**

**KAMEN RIDER! ZI-O!**

**KAMEN RIDER GEIZ!**

**ARMOUR TIME!**

**COMPLETE!**

**FAIZ!**

**KAIXA!**

Soon after, Zeo and Gaius are transformed back into Kamen Rider Zi-O and Geiz, with their Faiz and Kaixa armours equipped. The Kamen Riders and the Symphogears quickly regrouped with Gunvolt and Copen who were happy to see them feeling alright.

"Glad you boys and girls could make it." Gunvolt greeted the recovered heroes.

"I have several questions I wanna ask the both of you right now." Zi-O questioned Gunvolt and Copen.

"Just a few. We don't want to keep our angry chimera waiting while its recovering." Copen requested.

"Okay, first off: How is Joule still alive and Lola regaining her Idol Form?" Kanade asked.

"And what kind of armours and weapons you guys are using right now? That, looks cool as heck." Geiz also asked while pointing at said armours and weapons.

"The Azure and Crimson Necklaces we're wearing this whole time?" Gunvolt explained while he pointed at the 'x' crystal on his chest. "Turns out, those are actually Relics from Kanade and Serena's world."

Gunvolt's answer shocked the others in surprise. "Is that true? How did you know that?" Serena asked.

"When those Relics shined brightly, we were sent to some kind of white void space." Copen explained. "There, we met a woman named Finé. She was the one who helped us unlock these Faust Robes and Armed Gears. She even told us how to bring back Joule and to regain Lola's Idol Form."

"Finé?! Faust Robes?!" The Kamen Riders exclaimed in shock at the familiar names.

"Okay, those names I've never even heard of before." Kanade remarked.

"Faust Robes are basically another version of the Symphogear armour." Copen explained.

"Really? Does that mean you have armours like mine and Kanade?" Serena asked.

"Something like that. Though instead, Joule and Lola will be doing the singing, while me and Copen will do the fighting." Gunvolt answered.

"Aww man... And I was really hoping to hear one of you sing while you're fighting in those Faust Robes." Kanade complained.

"Really? That's what you're hoping for?" Geiz deadpanned at Kanade's comment.

But then Laius began to roar loudly, gaining the group's attention as they saw the chimera growling again and recovered.

"I think we kept Laius waiting for far too long." Zi-O remarked to the group. "So how about we shut that thing up for good and get out of here?"

"Good enough for me!" Kanade replied with a grin with Serena nodding.

"Time for some payback." Geiz replied while he and Zi-O equipped their Faizphone X into Blaster Mode.

"GV, Copen, you both take point. We're right behind you." Zi-O adviced to them.

Gunvolt and Copen nodded before the group turned their sights onto the growling Laius as it was ready to fight once more.

"Oversurge! Azure Gungnir!" Gunvolt shouted while energizing his Armed Gear sword.

"Ignite! Crimson Airgetlám!" Copen also shouted while charging up his Armed Gear shield.

"Azure Gungnir?!" Zi-O and Kanade exclaimed.

"Crimson Airgetlám?!" Geiz and Serena exclaimed.

Laius began its attack by unleashing a red ground shockwave with its sword towards the group. Gunvolt countered back with a lightning ground shockwave with its Armed Gear. Gunvolt's shockwave overpowered the chimera's shockwave, breaking through and heading straight for Laius. Laius jumped over the shockwave before performing an overhead slash. Copen countered the sword strike with a counter shield, knocking the sword back, sending the chimera flying while also being tagged from the impact and making it open to attack. In response, Kanade stabbed the chimera's chest with its spear and unleashed a powerful red tornado, sending Laius flying.

**STAB∞METEOR**

Zi-O, Geiz, Gunvolt and Copen followed up by firing their guns and blasters onto the chimera's chest with Copen using his Armed Gear to fire powerful crimson energy arrows from the front end of his shield as it opened up into a crossbow and his attack bits supporting with stronger homing lasers. The barrage of bullets, arrows and lasers sent the chimera flying in the air before crashing back into the ground. To top it all off, Serena charged up her Armed Gear, jumped high and launched the knife onto the chimera's chest, ending off with an explosion when struck as Serena landed next to the group.

**GNOME****†****TRIAL**

"Good to see you using your shield again, Copen." Geiz praised him. "Try not to lose it this time."

"Don't worry, it will take more than that to break this one." Copen smirked back while gently banging his shield with his gun.

"Defence is a good offence, after all." Serena remarked.

"I can think of several people that knows how to use shields well." Zi-O commented.

The group eventually heard more growling from the damaged Laius as it was standing up once more, but staggering a bit.

"Wow, that thing really knows how to be persistent." Kanade remarked with a slight hint of annoyance.

"Here it comes!" Gunvolt informed the group as Lauis ran towards them.

"Geiz, knuckle up!" Zi-O ordered him before the Riders pressed a few buttons on their Faizphone X to materialize the Shot knuckle dusters.

**READY!**

**SHOT ON!**

As the Riders equipped their knuckle dusters on their right hands, Laius performed another roundhouse kick, but Gunvolt countered back with his own roundhouse kick, but energized. Gunvolt's kick staggered the chimera back, leaving an opening. Gunvolt then followed up with a lightning right punch on the chimera's chest to stun him, followed up with several fast lightning punches with both fists and finishing off with a powerful lightning right hook, along with the Riders assisting with a powerful right punch with the knuckle dusters, that sent the chimera skidding a few feet back as it fell to its knee.

Gunvolt blinked for a moment as he gazed at his energized battle gauntlets in awe. "Wow... these gauntlets are something else entirely." He commented.

"I wonder if those gauntlets are also Armed Gears?" Zi-O guessed as he flicked his wrist.

"Could be. I mean, I can create more of my Armed Gears when using some of my skills." Serena stated.

"Hmm... Now that you mention it, I did use my spear to summon more spears to rain down on my enemies." Kanade pointed out. "Also, I can enlarge my spear to the size of a semi-truck for more power."

"Now THAT is something I would like to see." Geiz replied.

"Maybe someday, Geiz." Kanade answered back with a wink.

"I think we'd better finish up. The song duet's almost over." Zi-O reminded the group while noticing that Joule and Lola's song is almost finished.

"How's about we break Lauis' shield before going in for the kill?" Copen suggested.

"Good idea, Copen!" Gunvolt agreed before declaring to the group. "Alright everyone, Finish Time!"

"Okay!"

First off, the Riders used their Faizphone X to materialize the leg Pointers on their right legs.

**READY!**

**POINTER ON!**

With the Pointers materialized on their right legs, the Riders pushed the buttons on the Ridewatches, slammed the tilt buttons and turned their belts a 360.

**FINISH TIME! FAIZ!**

**FINISH TIME! KAIXA!**

The Riders knelt down in one knee before jumping high into a forward flip as the Pointers shot out a photon beam. The chimera used its shield to block the attack as the beams turned into red and yellow cones of energy.

**EXCEED TIME BURST!**

**EXCEED TIME BREAK!**

The Riders kicked through the cone as it drilled though the shield as it slowly started to break apart. However, Copen seemed to notice that Laius is about to counter with its sword. "Oh no you don't!" Copen exclaimed as he took out a whip sword from the back end of his shield and flung the whip onto Laius' sword as it wrapped around it. He began to pull the whip sword to prevent the chimera from using it while making it lose its momentum. Copen's distraction gave the Riders a chance to kick harder as the photon drills broke through Laius' shield to pieces while dealing a direct hit to its chest. The Riders appeared and landed behind Laius like data, leaving behind the Faiz and Kaixa symbols before disappearing.

"Gunvolt, get your gun charged up to full power! Time to deliver the final shot on my signal!" Copen ordered him to prepare.

"Got it!" Gunvolt replied as he took out his Lightning Leader and charged up to full power before pointing at the chimera.

"Kanade, Serena, help me pull!" Copen requested.

"Okay!" The girls replied as they grabbed Copen's hand to assist.

The Riders noticed from behind that Copen and the girls are about to pull the chimera towards them. Zi-O turned to Geiz before asking with a smirk, "Hey Geiz, leg sweep?"

"Leg sweep." Geiz nodded and smirked back before the Riders turned towards the chimera and delivered a left and right leg sweep on both of Laius' legs, causing it to lose its footing.

"Now!" Copen yelled as he and the girls pulled the whip sword, sending the chimera towards them. "Okay Gunvolt, let's shove this chimera with our guns!" He ordered Gunvolt who nodded back. Copen immediately let go of his whip sword, leaving the girls to hold the weapon for him, took out his Burning Divider and charged up to full power. Just before the reeled in chimera collided to the group, Gunvolt and Copen shoved their fully powered guns onto the chimera's chest and lifting it above 45 degrees before they said the final word to Laius before pulling the trigger.

"Sayonara!"

Gunvolt and Copen fired a very powerful combined fire and lighting blast that sent Laius crashing through several walls on the ceiling. The blast left several holes on the fortress' walls until it eventually sent Laius flying out of The Garden before the blast detonated into a massive explosion that completely destroyed the chimera into red data before fading away. With the chimera destroyed, Gunvolt and Copen blew away the smoke on their gun nozzels, twiled their guns a bit and slammed them back onto their holsters.

**(BGM End)**

"Now that, was SO satisfying." Zi-O commented as everyone unequipped their weapons and regrouped, signalling the end of the chimera. _"Though it would be nice if they said 'Jackpot' instead. Oh well."_ He thought while he and Geiz transformed back into their Base Forms.

"Though how did you manage to pull out a whip sword from your shield?" Serena asked Copen while she gave back his whip sword.

"Honestly, I didn't even know I had that. Must've been my instincts kicking in." Copen guessed while looking at his Armed Gear, contracted the whip sword blade back to normal and sheathing the sword on the back end of his shield.

"Who would've thought that those necklaces are actually Relics. And they have the same names as mine and Serena's no less!" Kanade pointed out with her hands on her hips.

"Yeah, we were surprised too when Finé told us what they really are." Gunvolt replied to the group.

"And thanks to her, guess who's back!" Lola cheerfully smiled as she and Joule landed beside Copen and Gunvolt.

"Welcome back, Joule. And glad you got your Idol Form back, Lola." Geiz greeted the two idols.

"Thank you, everyone. It's great to be back." Joule greeted back with a smile.

"You should've seen GV, me and Serena singing earlier. It really helped us out during our fight with Zonda." Kanade told Joule with a grin.

"I'm glad it worked." Joule replied, before blinking a bit at what Kanade said. "Wait, you and Serena sang too?"

"Yep, me and the boys definitely saw and heard it. And it actually worked too." Lola confirmed with a nod. "Besides, they are Attuned after all."

"Attuned... Of course! Their powers come from their singing!" Joule realised while she remembered who Kanade and Serena are when she first met them.

"That's right." Serena confirmed to Joule. "Glad you remembered who we are."

"Thanks for letting me write your song lyrics while you sang to me back at GV's apartment." Kanade thanked Joule with a smile.

"Hehe. I'm glad it was useful." Joule giggled in response.

"Okay, I think it's time we get the hell out of here before something else happens." Zi-O informed the group while he and Geiz used their Zikan Phones to call in their Time Mazines to arrive.

"And that would be...?" Kanade began to ask... until they heard explosions and crumbling pillars happening around the entire fortress. The Kamen Riders gave Kanade a very deadpanned look at what she just asked. "...Never mind."

"What's happening?!" Gunvolt asked the group.

"My guess: Once Zonda is completely dead, the entire fortess will collapse! No Oracle, no Garden!" Lola stated.

"Then we'd better hurry! Lola, back into the Relics!" Joule told her.

"Gotcha!" Lola responded as she and Joule disappeared back into their respective Relics.

"Zi-O, Geiz, when will the Time Mazines arrive?!" Copen asked them.

"Very soon!" Geiz informed while looking at his Zikan Phone. "They'll be here in 3... 2... 1...!"

**TIME MAZINE!**

Soon after, the Riders' Time Mazines arrived through the open ceiling and landed in front of the heroes.

"Time to go! Hop in, everyone!" Zi-O declared as everyone got on the Time Mazines before the hoverbikes lifted off the ground and blast off through the open ceiling, leaving behind the crumbling Throne Room. Eventually, the Time Mazines blasted off and out of the Garden via hole in the wall and headed towards the Medical Facility where Mytyl and the others are waiting. When the group looked behind, they saw the exploding Garden fortress crumbling down before sinking into the depths of the ocean. With Zonda dead and The Garden destroyed, Eden is officially no more.

"So, the conflict is over, huh?" Kanade said.

"Yeah, it's finally over. Hopefully." Gunvolt replied as everyone looked forward.

"The Medical Facility should be up north, but it will take a while till we get there." Copen informed.

"You're not too worried about Mytyl, are you?" Geiz asked Copen.

"I'm sure my sister will be fine. Our Relics did save her from near death after all." Copen assured.

_"Wait, the Relics did that?!"_ Joule exclaimed.

_"Yep, with a little help from me and GV's healing."_ Lola confirmed while Gunvolt added with a nod.

_"I see... Just how special are these Relics?"_ Joule pondered.

"VERY special considering how Azure Gungnir and Crimson Airgetlám are originally from the Symphogear world." Gunvolt stated.

"I'm guessing the Dimensional Quakes are responsible for those Relics to appear in this world, GV?" Zi-O pointed out.

"Yeah... about the Dimensional Quakes..." Gunvolt began to speak, making the group confused, minus Copen, Joule and Lola.

"What else did Finé told you...?" Zi-O demanded some answers.

Copen sighed in response. "Ugh... where to begin...? We might as well explain since the trip to the Medical Facility will take a while."

And so, Gunvolt, Copen, Joule and Lola began to explain what they have learned during their meeting with Finé. Confirming the Azure Gungnir and Crimson Airgetlám Relics appearing in Gunvolt's world due to the Dimension Quakes; Phonic Gain being similar to The Muse Septima's power; a powerful world connecting Complete Relic called, Gjallarhorn; Finé's involvement on the Relic experiment as Ryoko Sakurai; the two abnormalities which one of them had Kanade being involved; the Neo Time Jacker's plan to use Gjallarhorn for their conquest; and a mysterious third party that de-railed their plan by breaking apart the Complete Relic and scattered the fragments across the worlds and the multiverse. After hearing their explanation, the group was left speechless and shocked at what they have learnt.

"Gjallarhorn... Never thought I'd hear the name of that Relic again." Kanade spoke. "And Ryoko Sakurai was Finé this entire time? And she also knew Serena?"

"Umm... what does Ryoko look like again?" Serena asked.

"Short brown hair, purple eyes, wears red glasses, wears a scientist outfit." Kanade described.

"Ah! So I DID meet her before!" Serena realised. "I guess I was so young at the time that I eventually forgot."

"That's alright." Kanade assured Serena with a smile.

"So that's the real identity of those Distortions and the Dimension Fragments. Gjallarhorn, huh?" Zi-O stated. "Guess that means that I'm changing the name from the Distortion Ridewatch into the Gjallarhorn Ridewatch."

"If you say so." Geiz replied to Zi-O. "Still, that mysterious third party made the right call to break apart the Relic and scatter those fragments before the Neo Time Jackers could steal the Complete Relic."

_"Though we have no idea how many of those fragments are out there."_ Lola pointed out.

_"And we still don't know who that third party is yet." _Joule added.

"I'm sure we'll find out eventually." Zi-O assured before he turned to Gunvolt and Copen. "So, is that all that Finé explained to you guys?"

"Ah, there is this one thing." Gunvolt answered as he took out the USB Memory Drive from his pocket and showed them to the group. "Finé gave us this. The location of the Symphogear world and the last known location of Gjallarhorn before it was broken."

"Wait, the location of our world? Me and Kanade can finally go home?!" Serena exclaimed in shock as Gunvolt confirmed with a nod and a smile as he placed the USB Drive back into his pocket. Serena wanted to be happy, but somehow felt a bit worried. "Though... how are we going to explain our friends how we're still alive and not as spirits?"

"Don't worry, I'm sure we can figure things out." Kanade assured Serena before turning to the guys. "You guys are coming with us, right?"

"Me and Gaius? Definitely. I mean we gotta figure out what happened to Gjallarhorn after all." Zi-O confirmed with Geiz nodding. "Though I dunno about GV, Copen and the two idols."

"We're coming too." Gunvolt, Copen, Joule and Lola immediately answered.

"What?!" The Kamen Riders and the Symphogears exclaimed in shock at their decision.

"Finé gave us an important favor for us, and we WILL carry out that favor." Copen stated why.

"Plus, I am a bit curious at what Kanade and Serena's world looks like." Gunvolt added.

_"It would be nice for me to meet Kanade's old partner, face to face." _Joule added while mentioning Kanade's partner, Tsubasa Kazanari.

_"And I really wanna meet Serena's big sister! Along with Kirika and Shirabe!"_ Lola also added while mentioning Serena's sister, Maria Cadenzavna Eve, and her two childhood friends.

"Kirika and Shirabe?" Gunvolt and Joule repeated in confusion.

"Kirika Akatsuki and Shirabe Tsukuyomi. Serena's childhood friends." Copen answered as he remembered what Serena told him back at his mansion.

"Ah, okay."

"Ah, speaking of our friends... that duet Joule and Lola sang earlier, their aura even restored some of our lost memories." Kanade stated, making the group, minus Serena, very surprised.

"Is that so?" Zi-O questioned Kanade. "Well what did you remember?"

"Well for me, I was still supporting Tsubasa when I'm still a spirit. Even after my death, I still wanna help her move on." Kanade answered.

"And for me when I was also a spirit, I gave Maria-neesan a fragment of my Relic so that she can keep on fighting and move on." Serena added.

"I see..." Zi-O replied. "Anything else?"

"Me and Serena were watching our friends one last time and gave them our support so that they can save the world." Kanade answered. "And we're not the only ones. More spirits that Tsubasa and her friends befriended before are also with us to support them, including Tsubasa's father, Yatsuhiro Kazanari."

"My mom, Nastassja Sergeyevna Tolstaya, was also with me to support them." Serena sadly added.

"I see... I'm... sorry about your mother, Serena." Copen apologized.

"And Tsubasa's father is gone too? Damn... I didn't even know that. And I thought losing your whole family is bad, Kanade." Gunvolt sadly muttered.

"Kanade's family is gone too?!" Copen and Lola exclaimed in shock as Kanade and Gunvolt sadly confirmed with a nod. "Kanade... I didn't even realize..." Copen struggled to speak.

"Yeah, neither do I after what she told me back at my apartment." Gunvolt added.

_"Kanade, Serena, I'm really sorry about what happened to the both of you back then."_ Joule apologized to them.

_"I'm sorry too. You both lost your loved ones during your past lives." _Lola also apologized.

"Don't worry, we'll be alright. As much as me and Serena wanted to go back to the afterlife, we're gonna make use of those second chances and help you guys out." Kanade assured the group with a small smile.

"We'll have to keep on living and to continue fighting so that no one else will have to suffer the same fate as us." Serena declared to the group with a small smile.

"Well said, girls." Gunvolt smiled back at them.

"If you never need our help, let us know. We got your back." Copen also smiled back at the girls.

_"Don't forget me and Joule too!"_ Lola cheerfully added.

_"We're here if you need us."_ Joule also added.

"Thank you, everyone." Kanade and Serena nodded back to the group with a hopeful smile.

"That's the spirit, girls." Geiz also smiled back at them.

"I see the Medical Facility straight ahead!" Zi-O informed the group as they nearly arrived at their destination.

"Alright, let see how my sister is doing right now. Xiao and Nori should be there as well." Copen declared.

"Got it. Let's find a safe place to land these bikes." Zi-O replied.

"Oh and one more thing, we'd better keep this conversation a secret. It's better to leave Nori, Xiao, Quinn and Mytyl not knowing about all this. Especially the Relics." Geiz requested to the group as they nodded in agreement. "Good. Now to find that landing spot." Geiz said as he and Zi-O find a landing spot for the Time Mazines without being seen.

* * *

**Medical Facility**

After the Riders and the Symphogears transformed back into their civilian forms; they, along with Gunvolt and Copen, arrived outside Mytyl's medical room where Nori, Xiao and even Quinn were waiting while sitting on the waiting chairs. When they saw the heroes arriving, they immediately stood up.

"Quinn? When did you get here?" Gunvolt asked in surprise.

"Ah, GV! Xiao told me about what happened so I followed him and Nori here." Quinn explained.

"I see." Gunvolt replied before Quinn saw the newcomers.

"And you must be..." Quinn began.

"Copen Kamizono." He introduced himself. "And these two over here are Gaius Cornell and Serena Cadenzavna Eve."

"Hello./Hi there, Quinn." Gaius and Serena greeted.

"Nice to meet you all. My name is Quinn Sakurazaki." Quinn greeted back with a smile. "Thank goodness you're all okay."

"Glad you guys made it in once piece." Xiao told the heroes.

"That chimera nearly had us, but we pulled through in the end." Gunvolt replied.

"And not only that, The Garden is completely destroyed after the battle." Zeo added.

"So that's it, huh? Eden is officially defeated." Xiao said.

"Yup, we won't have to worry about them anymore." Kanade confirmed.

"How's my sister doing, Nori?" Copen asked.

"Well, Mytyl's condition is improving. Her voice is completely healed and should be able to walk on her own soon." Nori informed.

"I'm glad to hear it, thanks." Copen replied back with a smile of relief, before Nori noticed that a certain battle pod is missing.

"Wait, where's Lola?" Nori asked.

_"I'm over here, Nori!"_ Lola responded from Copen's necklace, which surprised Nori, Xiao and Quinn.

"What? How did you end up inside the Crimson Necklace?" Nori asked.

_"Yeah... It's a long story. But these necklaces did save our lives." _Lola replied.

_"And it also brought me back to life as well."_ Joule spoke from Gunvolt's necklace, which greatly surprised Nori, Xiao and Quinn.

"Joule?! You're alive?! But... how?!" Xiao exclaimed in shock.

"Remember the time Mytyl managed to survive? It was because of Joule and her Septima, along with these necklaces, plus mine and Lola's healing skills." Gunvolt answered, while hiding the truth for safety reasons.

_"After that, I went back into a deep slumber, but not dead. But these necklaces were able to restore all of my powers and reawaken me." _Joule added, while also hiding the truth.

"I guess those necklaces really ARE good luck charms." Gunvolt quipped with a smirk.

"I see... Thank goodness you're alright, Joule." Quinn felt happy and nearly shed a few tears.

_"You're welcome, Quinn." _Joule replied._ "I would hug you right now, but I don't want any unwanted attention, so let's wait till we get back to the apartment, okay?"_

"Sure thing, Joule." Quinn replied back with a smile.

"I guess that means that GV and Copen will give thanks to Quinn and Mytyl for giving them those necklaces in the first place, huh?" Gaius pointed out.

"I believe so." Nori replied with a smile.

"I'm glad the necklaces we gave you were put to good use." Quinn said with a smile.

"Indeed they did." Serena replied back with a smile, before the group noticed a doctor coming out of the medical room to report.

"So, what's the report on Mytyl's condition, doctor?" Nori asked.

"I'm happy to report that she will be just fine. You're free to send her home if you like." The doctor reported the good news.

"Thank you, doctor." Copen thanked him. "Is it okay if me and Gunvolt would like to speak with Mytyl for a while before discharge?"

"Why, of course. Please, feel free to do so." The doctor granted permission.

"Sorry guys, but it's kinda personal. So you're gonna have to wait outside." Gunvolt told the group, minus Copen.

"No problem, you two. Take your time." Kanade replied with an understanding nod as Gunvolt and Copen went inside Mytyl's medical room and shut the door behind them.

"I'll go and write down the discharge papers, doctor." Nori told him as she stood up from her seat.

"Very well, right this way, ma'am." The doctor replied as he escorted Nori to the information counter, leaving behind Zeo, Gaius, Kanade, Serena, Xiao and Quinn as they sat down on the waiting chairs.

While they are waiting for Gunvolt and Copen to finish chatting with Mytyl, everything went silent without anyone saying a word, until eventually, Xiao broke the silence as he's about to say something to the group.

"I'm sorry." Xiao spoke to the group.

"Huh? Why is that?" Zeo questioned.

"About what happened back at The Garden." Xiao answered.

"Ah that." Zeo understood. "Listen, you're only trying to help Mytyl. But then Eins came in and stole that Glaive Pendant. So basically, it was his fauit."

"Eins?" Quinn said in confusion.

"He's part of the Neo Time Jackers, our other enemies. He was hired by Zonda to eliminate us." Gaius explained to her.

"I see..." Quinn understood. "Though I have to wonder, what will you do with the Glaive Pendant after taking The Muse Septima?" She asked Xiao as she knew about what he did after he and Nori explained.

"Nothing bad really. I just wanted it to hide it in a safe place. No ill intent at all." Xiao answered.

"I really hope so." Kanade replied to him with a frown. "You may be a good friend to us, but you could've at least told us first. Otherwise we might think you're backstabbing us."

"He would never do that!" Serena exclaimed. "...Would he?"

"I'm really sorry, everyone. Please..." Xiao apologised and hoping for forgiveness.

"It dosen't matter. What happened, happened. Just don't ever do that again, okay Xiao?" Quinn said.

"Yeah, it won't happen again. I promise." Xiao assured.

"Good." Zeo nodded. "Still, at least Mytyl is alive as a normal human. And that's all it matters for now."

"So what are you guys going to do now since Eden is no more?" Xiao asked the group.

"Simple. We're going after Eins and the Neo Time Jackers." Gaius answered.

"And we're gonna get that Glaive Pendant back before Eins uses it for something really bad." Kanade added.

"Gunvolt and Copen agreed to come along with us to stop them." Serena also added.

"What?!" Xiao and Quinn exclaimed in shock that Gunvolt and Copen are joining them.

"Not only was Eins responsible for that ambush against you and Nori, he also mind controlled Zeno and Moniqa into fighting us." Zeo explained to Xiao.

"Eins did what to Zeno and Moniqa?!" Xiao exclaimed.

"Don't worry, me and Zeo were able to free them." Gaius assured that the victims are safe.

"Oh good, I'm glad they're okay." Xiao said with a sigh of relief. "I guess with those Neo Time Jackers running around, not everyone will be safe."

"Exactly. Gunvolt and Copen wanted to help us out. And trust me, we're going to need all the help we can get to stop them." Kanade stated.

"We understand." Quinn agreed with a nod before she turned to the door to Mytyl's medical room. "Though I wonder how Mytyl would feel?"

"I'm sure she'll understand too. But for now, all we can do is wait and see." Serena replied as everyone turned to Mytyl's door as well while waiting for Gunvolt and Copen.

* * *

While the group outside the medical room are waiting, Gunvolt and Copen saw Mytyl in her hospital patient garb and in bed, was reading some books to pass the time.

"Reading some books there, Mytyl?" Copen's greeting gained Mytyl's attention as she saw her dear brother with a smile.

"Copen, you're here!" Mytyl happily greeted back as he walked towards her. "I knew you would make it back!"

"Sorry we took so long, but we won in the end." Copen assured that the battle is over. "That monster is destroyed along with the rest of Eden."

"Then it's finally over?" Mytyl questioned.

"For now. But we've got another mission to take care of in another location tomorrow." Copen answered.

"I see." Mytyl replied back before she noticed someone else behind Copen. "Is that one of your new friends I saw earlier?"

"Yeah." Copen confirmed as he turned to Gunvolt. "Gunvolt, come forward. My sister wanted to meet you."

"Sure thing." Gunvolt nodded as he walked towards Mytyl. "So you must be Mytyl Kamizono, Copen's brother?"

"Mmhmm." Mytyl nodded. "It's nice to meet you, mister..."

"Gunvolt. But you can call me GV if you want." He greeted.

"Okay then, GV!" Mytyl replied back with a smile before she noticed someone else is missing as she turned to Copen. "Wait... where is Lola?"

Copen looked at his Relic Necklace and requested, "Lola, can you come out here for a second?"

"You come out too, Joule. Mytyl wants to meet you as well." Gunvolt also requested as he looked at his Relic Necklace.

In response, Joule and Lola appeared beside Gunvolt and Copen in their Idol Forms. Mytyl was in awe at how beautiful the two idols are.

"Wow..." Mytyl said with awe.

"Pretty neat, huh?" Lola responded to Mytyl with a wink. "I'm not a battle pod anymore, but this is a better form for me."

"Lola, you look so pretty!" Mytyl told her with praise.

"Thanks, Mytyl!" Lola smiled back before she turned to Joule. "But you should thank Joule for giving me this Idol Form."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mytyl. You can call me Joule." Joule greeted her with a smile and a bow.

"Nice to meet you too, Joule!" Mytyl greeted back with a cheerful nod before she turned to Copen. "Brother, are we going home soon?"

"Nori should be taking care of the discharge papers right now. After that, then we can go home." Copen answered.

"I hope you're not too frightened about what Eden did to you, Mytyl. You've been through quite a lot." Gunvolt asked her with concern.

"Only a bit. But I always knew that my brother and Lola would come and save me. And I'm very glad he now has friends like you to help." Mytyl replied.

"I'm glad to hear that. You're a very brave young girl, Mytyl. You're very lucky to have a brother like Copen to take care of you." Joule smiled at Mytyl while her comment made Copen's face a bit red.

"Uh... Joule? You don't have to embarrass me like that..." Copen said while hiding his blush.

"Hahaha! You made my brother blush, Joule!" Mytyl laughed.

"Told ya Boss is a tsundere." Lola said with a teasing smirk.

"I am not a tsundere!" Copen retorted at Lola.

Everyone began to laugh as Copen's embarrassment for a moment before Copen began to say something to Mytyl.

"Anyway, we're going to be gone for quite a long time because of another important mission tomorrow. I hope you don't mind the wait." Copen told Mytyl.

Mytyl shook her head in response. "It's alright. Nori is there to take care of me. She's planning to send me to school in a few weeks time."

"That's good to know. You don't mind if I can let my friends, Quinn and Xiao, to help take care of you, right? Can't let Nori do most of the work." Gunvolt suggested to Mytyl.

"Ah, that would really help Nori. Thank you, GV!" Mytyl thanked him with a smile.

"No problem." Gunvolt replied back with a smile before he turned to Copen. "Nori could use the extra help to take care of your sister. Don't worry, she's in good hands."

"I'd appreciate that, thank you." Copen thanked him with a smile until everyone in the room heard knocking on the door.

"It's me, Nori. I've just finished with the discharge papers and have Mytyl's clothes with me. Can I come in?" Nori spoke from behind the door.

Everyone turned to Mytyl as Copen said, "We'll wait outside until you've finished changing your clothes."

"Take your time, Mytyl." Gunvolt added.

"Okay, Copen! GV!" Mytyl nodded back before she turned to the two idols. "I'll see you soon, Lola! And it's very nice to meet you, Joule!"

"It's our pleasure, Mytyl!" The two idols smiled and waved back before disappearing back into the Relic Necklaces.

After that, Gunvolt and Copen left the medical room before Nori went inside with Mytyl's clothes to help her change out of her patient garb.

* * *

Outside the room, the rest of the group waiting stood up from their seats when Gunvolt and Copen arrived.

"So, how'd it go?" Zeo asked Gunvolt and Copen about Mytyl.

"She's doing just fine. We saw her reading some books earlier." Copen replied.

"She may be feeling a bit scared at the whole Eden ordeal, but she's a very brave girl and never gave up hope." Gunvolt added.

"That's good to know." Zeo replied back with a smile.

"Thank goodness we managed to save her." Kanade added.

"Yeah. Thanks for the help, guys." Copen thanked the group, minus Quinn and Xiao. "Though I have to wonder: What ARE you planning to do with that Glaive Pendant after extracting The Muse Septima?" He asked Xiao.

"I was planning to hide the pendant in a safe location so that nobody would find it and use the pendant. I'm not showing any ill intent at all." Xiao answered.

"I hope so. But again, you could've told us from the very beginning." Gunvolt questioned Xiao.

"I know, and I'm really sorry for that." Xiao apologized.

"It's like I said earlier, Xiao. What happened, happened. But Mytyl is safe and Eden is no more, that's all it matters." Quinn pointed out.

"Quinn's right." Copen agreed. "Just don't do that again, okay Xiao?"

"You have my word. I promise." Xiao nodded back.

Soon after, Nori came out of the room with Mytyl back in her normal clothes.

"Ah, are those your other friends, Copen?" Mytyl asked him while noticing the other newcomers.

"Yup." Copen replied before he turned to the group. "Care to introduce yourselves, guys?"

"Sure thing, Copen. I'm Zeo Naotora."

"Kanade Amou. Nice to meet you!"

"Gaius Cornell."

"Serena Cadenzavna Eve. But just call me Serena."

"Quinn Sakurazaki. Good to meet you."

"Xiao Wu."

"It's nice to meet all of you." Mytyl greeted them back with a smile and a bow. "I'm Mytyl Kamizono. Gunvolt and Copen told me that they are coming with you all on your next mission tomorrow. Please keep an eye on them for me, okay?"

"Don't worry. As long as they're with us, they'll be just fine." Zeo assured with a smile.

"Thank you." Mytyl smiled back before she turned to Xiao and Quinn. "GV told me that you both will help take care of me and Nori while the others are away. I hope you don't mind."

"GV said that?" Quinn said before she turned to Gunvolt.

"Like I said to Mytyl and Copen earlier, Nori could use the extra help. So please help out while we're gone, okay?" Gunvolt requested.

"Sure thing, GV." Quinn accepted with a nod.

"We'll be watching over them." Xiao also nodded.

"Nori?" Copen waited for a response from her maid.

"It shall be done. I'll accept their help." Nori responded with a bow. "Now, I believe it's time to return home."

"Me, Xiao, Quinn, Zeo and Kanade will head back to my apartment and start packing up for tomorrow's mission." Gunvolt informed Copen's group.

"Then me, Nori, Mytyl, Gaius and Serena will do the same thing back at my mansion." Copen replied back. "Meet up at my mansion tomorrow afternoon. Sounds good?"

"You got it, Copen." Gunvolt smiled back before he and Copen did a fist-bump together.

"Take care, guys!" Zeo waved at Copen's group.

"See you all tomorrow!" Gaius waved back at Gunvolt's group.

Soon after, everyone went back to their homes via transport to begin packing up for tomorrow. For tomorrow, it will be the day to leave the world of Gunvolt and onto the next world.

* * *

**Gunvolt's Apartment, Living Room**

**Nighttime**

"Are you sure that's everything, GV?" Zeo asked as Gunvolt placed most of his stuff on the table in the living room before Zeo could use the store function on the Zikan Phone to store them. Food, water, clothes, some copies of Quinn's recipes and other stuff are on the table.

"I think that should be it." Gunvolt confirmed while wearing his civilian clothing. "Still, it would've been nice to have those Zikan Phones that you and Kanade have." Gunvolt was wearing a white shirt with a dark green long jacket, black pants and black boots.

"When we get back to the Zi-O Liner, I'll have Einstein make one for you, considering that it can materialize and store items like the Kaixa Ridewatch." Zeo replied back as Kanade walked into the room while wearing a different casual outfit. She was wearing a black singlet with an orange sweater on top, blue jeans with a small brown belt strapped around it and red sneakers with white socks.

"Quinn wanted to give me some of her clothes for the trip." Kanade informed them. "I already stored them inside my Zikan Phone. Can't wear the same clothes every time, right?"

"And she doesn't mind?" Zeo asked. "Also, you look so cool in that outfit."

"Don't worry, she's okay with it. And thanks for the compliment, Zeo." Kanade replied with a grin before noticing Gunvolt's stuff on the table. "Wow, that's plenty of stuff you're gonna bring along, GV."

"Gotta be prepared, after all." Gunvolt replied back before he turned to Zeo. "Alright Zeo, whenever you're ready."

"Okay, beginning storing process." Zeo pushed a few buttons on his Zikan Phone and activated the storing process. A beam of green light began to scan Gunvolt's stuff before the light turned it into data and absorbed them into the phone until there's nothing left. After that, Zeo looked at his phone again and saw that all of Gunvolt's things are safely stored inside. "Alright, the process is complete." He confirmed before placing the phone back into his pocket.

"Thanks, Zeo." Gunvolt nodded back as Quinn and Joule walked into the room.

"Dinner's ready, everyone! Xiao's already at the dining table waiting for you guys." Quinn informed the group.

"We're having rice omelettes for tonight." Joule added with a wink.

"Rice omelettes?! Sold!" Zeo exclaimed with excitement as he ran past Quinn and Joule and towards the dining table.

"Hehe, must be his favourite dish." Kanade sheepishly chuckled as she walked towards the dining table.

"We're coming. Just finished packing up for tomorrow." Gunvolt informed them.

"You did?" Quinn tilted her head in confusion.

"Yep, Zeo stored them in his Zikan Phone." Gunvolt confirmed. "Technology is amazing, isn't it?"

"Hehe, I guess so." Joule giggled. "Come on, GV. Time to eat."

"On my way." Gunvolt nodded back with a smile as they went towards the dinner table to eat some rice omelettes. Eventually after dinner, everyone will go to bed and rest up for tomorrow.

* * *

**Copen's Mansion, Mytyl's Room**

**Nighttime**

"Are you sure I can have some of your clothes, Mytyl?" Serena asked her while chatting together in Mytyl's Room for the night. Mytyl already placed some of the clothes she didn't need on the floor.

"Of course. You can't wear the same ones every time." Mytyl replied with a nod while noticing Serena's Zikan Phone on her hand. "Are you sure you know how to use that phone?"

"Gaius taught me how to use it and its functions." Serena replied back. "Okay, stand back. I'm beginning the storing process."

Mytyl took a few steps back as Serena began pushing a few buttons on the phone and activated the storing process. A beam of green light began to scan the clothes before the light turned it into data and absorbed them into the phone until there's nothing left. After that, Serena looked at her phone again and saw that all of the clothing are safely stored inside. "That should do it. The clothes are safely stored inside my phone." She confirmed before placing the phone back into her pocket.

"Wow... Technology really is amazing." Mytyl spoke in awe at what Serena's Zikan Phone can do. "I wonder who made your phone?"

"A person named Albert Einstein. A very brilliant scientist." Serena answered, while hiding Einstein's gender.

"Amazing... I really wanted to meet that person someday." Mytyl said.

"I'm sure you will, Mytyl." Serena replied back with a smile before Nori walked into the room.

"Mytyl, Serena, it's getting late. Time for bed." Nori informed them.

"Okay, Nori." Mytyl replied as she and Serena got on the same bed and lay their heads on the pillows.

"Goodnight, Nori. See you tomorrow." Serena told her before she and Mytyl closed their eyes and went to sleep.

"Sleep well." Nori nodded back before she turned off the lights, closed the door and left.

* * *

**Copen's Mansion, Copen's Room**

Meanwhile at Copen's room; Copen, who was wearing his casual wear, wanted to ask Gaius a small favor to prepare for the trip tomorrow after Gaius finished storing Copen's stuff onto his Zikan Phone. Lola in her Idol Form, was also there for the discussion. As for Copen's casual wear, he's wearing a grey hooded jacket with a triangle made up of three red lines on the left side of his jacket, dark red pants and black boots.

"You wanted to borrow my Zikan Phone for a moment?" Gaius asked Copen.

"I wanna see if I can try to make another Zikan Phone from the spare parts I collected from Sumeragi and Eden technology." Copen explained.

"I see. You think this will work?" Gaius said.

"Don't worry, Gaius. Boss is a scientist after all." Lola assured him. "I mean, he did made me and a lot of weapons from defeated Adepts."

"Good point. Alright, you can have it." Gaius said as he gave his Zikan Phone to Copen.

"Thanks." Copen replied back as he took the phone. "I'll give it back to you tomorrow, okay?"

"Got it." Gauis nodded back before stretching his arms and yawning. "Well, I'm gonna go to bed. Don't stay up too late, okay? You'll need enough rest for tomorrow."

"Don't worry. I'll keep an eye on Boss for ya." Lola assured Gaius.

"Alright then. Goodnight, you two." Gaius said to Copen and Lola before leaving the room.

"Goodnight, Gaius." They replied back as he left.

After Gaius left, Copen took a quick look at the Zikan Phone on his hand before he turned to Lola. "Well, time to get to work. Lola, bring the leftover parts of Sumeragi and Eden over here so we can get started."

"Leave it to me, Boss!" Lola cheerfully replied with a salute before leaving the room to get the parts.

Once she left, Copen walked towards his workbench to get started on making the Zikan Phone. It's going to be a very long and busy night for the young scientist, but it will be worth it in the end.

* * *

**Copen's Mansion, Copen's Room**

**Daytime**

"Copen? Copen, wake up! It's morning already!"

"Ugh... huh...?" Copen slowly woke up from the sound of a voice. When he shook his head and turned around, it was actually Nori who was trying to wake him. "Nori, is that you? How long was I asleep?"

"Quite a long time. It's nearly afternoon and the others had already showered and ate their meals." Nori answered.

"Ugh... Guess I overdid it after I promised Gaius not to work too long." Copen remarked as he stood up from his chair, yawned and stretched his arms.

"Hm? What is that over there?" Nori asked as she saw something hiding under the black cloth on his workbench.

"Sorry but, it's a secret. I'll reveal what it is later." Copen replied. "But right now, I need to take a shower and eat something."

"Understood, Copen. I'll go and prepare your meal." Nori replied back with a bow before leaving the room.

After Nori left, Copen turned around and looked at Gaius' Zikan Phone and the one that's hiding under the black cloth on the workbench. "Gunvolt's gonna love this." Copen smirked before he left his room.

* * *

**Copen's Mansion, Living Room**

**One hour later...**

"I wonder what's taking Copen so long?" Serena questioned as she, Mytyl and Gaius are sitting on the chairs in the living room while waiting for Copen.

"Is your brother always this busy to the point that he's late?" Gaius asked Mytyl.

"When he's working on some new weapons and gadgets, then yes." Mytyl answered with a nod.

"And he promised not to stay up too late last night." Gaius sighed in response.

"It's alright. Nori and Lola are there to keep an eye on him, just in case." Mytyl assured him.

"That's good to know, but he'd better hurry. Gunvolt and the other will be here any minute." Serena said, until they heard knocking on the mansion's front door.

"Or they could show up right now. Well, might as well let them inside." Gaius said as he stood up from his chair and walked towards the front door to let the others inside.

"Hey Gaius, what's up?" Zeo greeted after Gaius opened the front door.

"Good afternoon. Looks like the others are here too." Gaius replied as he noticed Gunvolt and Kanade right behind Zeo. "Quinn and Xiao are not coming today?"

"They're planning to move to Copen's mansion instead so that they can take care of Mytyl and Nori a lot easier. So they decided to stay at the apartment to pack up their things." Gunvolt explained to Gaius.

"Ah, so that's why. Anyway, come on in and have a seat. There's still time to chat before we leave." Gaius said as he allowed the group to go inside before he closed the door and walk with them.

"Ah, good afternoon, everyone!" Serena cheerfully greeted Gunvolt's group as they arrived at the living room.

"Yo, Serena!" Kanade waved back with a grin as everyone sat down on the chairs.

"Good to see you too, Mytyl." Gunvolt greeted her.

"Good to see all of you again." Mytyl greeted back with a smile. "My brother will take a while to show up, I think he stayed up late again while working on something."

"Ah, okay." Gunvolt nodded. "I guess a young scientist's work is never easy."

"Mmhmm." Mytyl nodded back before she gestured her hand on what's on the table. "Would you like some cookies? Nori helped me make them."

"Is that so? Then don't mind if I do." Kanade replied as she took one cookie and took a bite. "Hey, these are really good! Is this your first time making these?"

"Mmhmm! Nori is a really good cooking teacher." Mytyl nodded back as Gunvolt and Zeo ate some of her cookies.

"I think you'll be just fine when you go and attend school soon." Gunvolt told Mytyl.

"Thanks, GV! Can Joule come out and try one of my cookies?" Mytyl asked.

_"Of course. One moment please..."_ Joule replied as she appeared beside Gunvolt and took a bite on the cookie. "Mmm... This is delicious. I think you'll make a good housewife someday." She remarked to Mytyl.

"You think so?" Mytyl questioned Joule.

"Sorry I'm late, everyone." Everyone turned to see Copen enter the living room as he sat down on a chair next to Mytyl.

"Were you working late at night again, Copen?" Mytyl asked.

"Yeah, sorry. I promised Gaius not to work too long and then I ended up oversleeping when I was finished." Copen admitted.

"I take it that the Zikan Phone tech is a bit sophisticated to replicate?" Gaius guessed.

"It took a while to figure things out, but I did the best I could. On that note, here you go." Copen took out Gaius' Zikan Phone on his pocket and threw it back to its owner.

"Thanks." Gaius caught the phone and placed it back into his pocket.

"You let him borrow your Zikan Phone, Gaius?" Zeo questioned.

"Well he did ask me a favor, so why not." Gaius replied back before he turned to Gunvolt. "So GV, finished packing up for the trip?"

"Yep. Zeo already stored my stuff on his Zikan Phone." Gunvolt confirmed to Gaius. "Though I have to wonder, does he always snore so loudly when he sleeps?"

"I thought you got rid of that trait already." Gaius deadpanned at Zeo, which also make Kanade chuckle.

"Hey, at least I didn't snore as loud as this one." Zeo defended while pointing his thumb at Kanade, which made her flinch.

"Hey! Take that back!" Kanade retorted back.

"You do realise that both of your snoring is making me and GV very annoyed when we're trying to sleep!" Joule scolded the loud snorers. "Just be glad GV didn't resort to using his electric powers to knock the both of you out."

"Please don't." Zeo and Kanade pleaded.

"Hmph." Copen smirked.

"Wait, did you find that funny?" Gunvolt asked Copen.

"At least Serena and my sister slept peacefully together." Copen replied while pointing his thumb at them.

"I was reading some fairy tale stories with her last night." Serena said while Mytyl nodded.

"Aww... How sweet...!" Lola responded as she appeared beside Copen. "I wish Boss would read some bedtime stories for me."

"Why would I do that?" Copen deadpanned at her partner. "And what kind of stories you wanted to hear anyway?"

"...Good point."

Everyone laughed at Lola's embarrassment before Zeo turned to Copen. "Anyway, what were you doing with Gaius' Zikan Phone anyway?" He asked.

"You're about to find out." Copen smirked back before he turned to Gunvolt. "Gunvolt, catch." Copen threw something at him.

Gunvolt caught it in response, and when he took a closer look at what he caught, his eyes widen in surprise. "Copen... Is this...?!"

"Yup, you're very own Zikan Phone." Copen answered.

"What?!" Everyone in the room, minus Lola, took a closer look at the Zikan Phone that Copen was able to make. It's the same as the other Zikan Phones, but the color is different, being mostly azure blue and black.

"Holy frick, you actually pulled it off." Gaius said to Copen.

"Never underestimate this scientist, Gaius." Copen smirked back with his arms crossed. "I had to use those parts from Sumeragi and Eden for something useful."

"That's Boss for ya! Always making the impossible, possible!" Lola added.

"Thanks, Copen. I'll take good care of it." Gunvolt thanked him.

"My pleasure, Gunvolt." Copen replied back. "Make good use if it."

"Well, so much for asking Einstein to make Gunvolt his own Zikan Phone." Zeo remarked while Gunvolt placed his Zikan Phone into his pocket.

"You're definitely going to be a great scientist in the future, Copen." Kanade smiled.

"Though I wonder if you're going to make your own Zikan Phone." Serena asked Copen.

"Funny you should mention that, Serena." Copen smirked back as he took something out of his pocket, which surprised the group at what it was.

"Another Zikan Phone?!" The group exclaimed. Copen's Zikan Phone is the same as the others, but the color on his phone is mostly crimson red and white.

"You made TWO Zikan Phones in one night?! No wonder you worked so long!" Gaius exclaimed at Copen.

"You're amazing as always, brother!" Mytyl praised Copen.

"Thanks, Mytyl. I aim to please." Copen smiled back while putting his Zikan Phone back into his pocket.

"Hahaha! Once again, that's Boss for ya!" Lola added while patting on Copen's shoulder.

"With your knowledge, you can help a lot of people, Copen." Joule praised him.

"And that's exactly what I'm planning to do." Copen replied back.

"Oh yeah, I just realised something. Where is Nori anyway?" Gunvolt asked Copen.

"She has a lot of cleaning up to do in the mansion. Maid duties as usual." Copen answered before he also noticed something. "Speaking of which, where's Quinn and Xiao? I thought they were with you."

"Well, they decided to stay at the apartment to pack up their things. They were planning to move to your mansion so that it'll be easier to take care of Mytyl and Nori while we're gone." Gunvolt answered.

"Ah, so that's why." Copen understood. "Alright then, they are free to move in."

"Thanks, Copen." Gunvolt replied back.

"Xiao and Quinn are moving in to our home, Copen?" Mytyl asked.

"Yeah, be nice to them and listen to what they have to say, alright?" Copen asked back.

"Okay!" Mytyl nodded back.

"Ah, good afternoon, everyone." Nori greeted the group as she entered the living room.

"Same to you, Nori." Zeo greeted back.

"Copen, I believe it's almost time to depart for the mission." Nori informed him. "Are you finished with everything?"

"Yup, we've just finished." Copen replied as he turned to the group that replied back with a nod. "We can leave immediately."

"Very well then. Mytyl and I will see you off." Nori repiled back with a bow.

"You're all leaving already?" Mytyl asked the group.

"As much as we want to stay here and chat, we really need to be going soon. Other people need our help." Kanade replied to Mytyl.

"We heroes got a job to do, after all." Zeo added.

"Don't worry, we'll come back here someday." Serena assured Mytyl.

"When you get to attend school someday, remember to behave, alright?" Gaius told Mytyl.

"Okay!" Mytyl nodded back as everyone, minus Nori, stood up from their chairs.

"Thanks again for the hospitality, Copen." Gunvolt said.

"You're welcome, Gunvolt." Copen replied before he turned to his maid. "Nori. Quinn and Xiao are moving to the mansion later so that they can take care of you and Mytyl a lot easier. Help them out whenever you could, okay?"

"As you wish, Copen." Nori replied with a bow before she turned to Mytyl. "Come along now, Mytyl. Let's see them off."

"Okay!" Mytyl nodded back as everyone began to leave the mansion via front door.

* * *

**Outside Copen's Mansion**

**A few minutes later...**

The heroes are already on the Time Mazines while Joule and Lola disappeared back into the Relic after the two idols said their goodbyes and hugging Mytyl with Nori waiting beside her.

"Have a safe journey, everyone." Nori wished the group the best of luck.

"Take care, everyone! Come back again soon, okay? And bring back some souvenirs if you can!" Mytyl happily waved goodbye at the group.

"We will! Take care of yourselves until then, alright?" Zeo replied back.

"Until we meet again!" Gaius added.

After everyone have said their goodbyes, Zeo and Gaius revved up their Time Mazines and drove off towards their next destination. Once they drove at around a few metres away from the mansion, Kanade wanted to ask the Riders about something. "So, what now?" She asked them.

"We'll head back to the way we came in; from the Frozen City. Well... it shouldn't be frozen anymore now that Tenjian is gone." Zeo answered.

"Once there, we'll contact Einstein or Akira and let them know that the mission is a success since we captured the Distor... I mean... Gjallarhorn Fragment and stopped the Distortion of this world." Gaius finished.

"So we're going through the portal then?" Serena guessed.

"Not immediately. We need to contact them first and wait for an answer, then we can go through the portal. We don't wanna get lost in the Sands of Time." Gaius answered.

"Agreed. That desert is bigger than the ones in Egypt." Zeo commented.

"Yeah... I don't wanna get lost in that desert either." Kanade remarked.

"Looks to me that we're in for one heck of an adventure." Gunvolt commented with an exciting grin.

_"And this is only the beginning."_ Joule added.

"We're not gonna let the Neo Time Jackers have their way." Copen declared.

_"And we're gonna kick their butts to the end of time!"_ Lola added.

"Hehe, I hear ya loud and clear, Lola." Zeo chuckled at Lola's comment. "Alright team! Let's Ragna-Rock and Roll!"

Soon after, the Time Mazines went full throttle and sped towards their destination with the heroes' mission in this world completed.

* * *

_And so ends the story of the world of Gunvolt. The Distortion has been sealed, Mytyl have been rescued alive and as a normal human, Zonda and Eden have been eliminated and the world is safe, for now. However, the Neo Time Jacker general Eins, managed to steal the Glaive Pendant that contains the fused power of The Muse and Zonda. What kind of devious plot will he use the pendant for? Will our heroes be prepared for what's to come next? Until then... Only time will tell..._

_But for now... this Book has come to a close..._

**Book 1: Azure and Crimson**

**Fin**

* * *

**Author's Note: Finally! I finished this story after a very long time. Video games and motivation can mess up your mind at times. Anyway, for Gunvolt and Copen's Faust Robes, I had to combine bits and pieces of Hibiki and Maria's armours and weapons with Gunvolt and Copen's battlesuits and weapons to make it work. Gjallarhorn will play a major role in the stories to come, especially when they arrive at the Symphogear world, which will take place after Symphogear XV. Some future elements from Symphogear XDU will also be added in my future stories. The Duo Relics, Mechvaranus and Kanade and Serena's X-Drives for example. Kinda sucks that the Global version of XDU will be closed, but at least there's the Japan version. Especially since Symphogear XDU doing a collab with Magical Lyrical Girl Nanoha. About damn time. But for now, Book 2 will involve Akira's team in their adventures at Shantae's world. Until then, stay safe!**


End file.
